Xavi: "On Sunday we have to dominate and keep the ball away from Madrid"
The coach lauded the fact that his team kept a clean sheet against Osasuna, and put in a "serious and mature performance” while also admitting that his team were “not brilliant" against a tricky opponent such as Los Rojillos.
Xavi Hernández appeared satisfied with the performance his team put in against Osasuna when speaking at the post-match press conference at the Al-Awwal stadium in Riyadh. Above all, he was satisfied with the result, commenting that "we are in another final, in another Clasico, and that was the important thing and it will give us confidence going into Sunday," he said.
However, the Barcelona coach clearly stated that he sees room for improvement in his team’s performance, and was critical of some aspects of their game, although he preferred to focus on the positives. "We didn't play a brilliant game, but we played seriously and kept our heads when it wasn't easy," he said, before repeating: "In general terms, I think we played a good game; not brilliant, but good.
Going into Sunday's final against rivals Real Madrid, Xavi plans to stick to his "methodology". "The game has to be about dominating, keeping the ball away from Madrid, showing our DNA; I think it's time to show our best game," he said. "It's difficult to beat Real Madrid in a final, they're a super team, but we have the example from last season, and that's how we have to compete," he argued.
❝Es momento de disfrutar. El Real Madrid es un grandísimo equipo y será difícil. Tenemos el ejemplo del año pasado... y por ahí tenemos que competir❞
— RFEF (@rfef) January 11, 2024
🗣️ Xavi Hernández | @FCBarcelona
#superSupercopa pic.twitter.com/iiyRaI9Fru
When asked about the clean sheet, Xavi said "it's important for the confidence of the back 4" and stressed that the three substitutions he made had worked, which he was also "happy" about.
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Jagoba Arrasate's press conference