If Barcelona had different results against PSG and ended up giving up, unable to defend itself, in this Sunday's classic there is no way around it. The Blaugrana need to win at the Bernabéu. “It is very simple and easy. We have the opportunity to join the League and get within 5 points. “It is the most important game of the season,” Xavi summarized. Either he wins or he starts to forget about the League. “This team has all the enthusiasm in the world to fight for the title. “We are going to compete and win.”
Barça is playing at the White House for its last chance to not end a season in which it had great aspirations in a blank. Hence the locker room has suffered a hard blow. “It's hard to digest,” Xavi admitted. “That's why I get frustrated and make mistakes when they expel me. This is what happens when there is a lot of tension and you see injustice. “We had a golden opportunity,” he lamented.
Only five days later, the classic is presented as the perfect opportunity to heal open wounds such as Gündogan's criticism for Aráujo's expulsion in the 31st minute and Vitinha's goal. “That is solved, yes. I didn't see a big problem but by talking people understand each other. When there is no bad intention there is no problem. "It's settled," said the coach.
If Barcelona arrives at a low time after the European frustration, Madrid is full of energy, in the semifinals of its fetish competition. “Madrid is a strong rival and is reinforced. After eliminating the one we here consider the best in the world, he will have a lot of euphoria, through the roof,” compared the Terrassa coach.
Xavi highly praised his rival's competitive gene with an ultra-defensive exercise in Manchester. “Madrid had to defend themselves because they were in front of the best team in the world, which for me is City. The rival takes you to that situation, even if you don't want to. In addition to playing well, we have to be effective because Madrid is,” he analyzed.
In his opinion, we should not talk about fortune, but about the imponderables that tradition provides. “When you have won so many times you play with more confidence, less urgency and more calm. They say it's luck, I don't believe in luck. It is no coincidence that Madrid has twice eliminated the best in the world, City, in three years. “We compete against this team for the League,” he said, to give credit to his team.
“We don't have bad numbers, we are only four points less than last season when we were loose leaders. Madrid has one defeat in 31 rounds. He has done the job well so far, he has had a great year.”
Because of this difference in moods, Xavi has warned his players to endure the first minutes, which were key for example in the Super Cup final. “We have talked about it with the players that in the first minutes of each half Madrid will press and become emboldened. It is the perfect setting to show personality and be brave. The first minutes will be key to master and calm the high pressure that Madrid will exert,” he warned.
The Barça coach barely entered into the appointment of Soto Grado, who sent him off on the first day in Getafe, to lead the classic. “Talking about referees doesn't help me at all. Sometimes we talk a lot about them. I hope I get very right in all my decisions,” he wished.
Although in January he already announced his departure for June 30, Xavi once again had to respond about his future and he did so to deny a summit next week. “There is no meeting, they have not summoned me. We have to beat Madrid, we are playing for the League, but I am not the important one. There will be time to talk,” he stated.
