It is a cyclical debate in Barcelona. Two games against Mallorca (0-1 win) and Inter (1-0 loss) were enough for the concern about the problems to attack the defenses of five to return to Can Barça. Xavi admits that he is working on it and asks his players to be more daring, and even a bit of improvisation to surprise and seek and create spaces. “We didn't have a great match neither in Mallorca nor in Milan. We have to shoot more when it's time, we have to dare more on the wing, take the last pass. We have to improve, cause more things on the edge of the area. Sometimes you have to get out of the script and the marked path that they give you. We have to generate more”, put Xavi as homework.
The days have passed and the Blaugrana coach still has the arbitration of the Meazza recent to try to focus on football. “We are outraged, we think and continue to think that it was an injustice. We have discussed it and have decided not to make a formal complaint. I am part of that decision. I already complained, that I never talk about the referees. But that's it. We gain nothing by looking back,” he said, to avoid distractions.
The man from Egar does not want his players to think more about the duel against the Italians than about the League. Nor in the Bernabeu classic, just around the corner. “I have told the footballers that before Inter there is Celta”, he clarified. "We don't think about the classic or Inter. These two days of training we have focused on Celta and winning them. We are 100% focused,” he explained.
Barça knows that if they beat Celta they will reach the Bernabeu ahead and with confidence in the crucial duel against the Nerazzurri. “We want to continue being leaders in the League. For this reason, we are now focused on attacking Celta. On Monday we will think about Inter”, he insisted.
A Celta different from Mallorca and Inter, with Aspas, author of five goals, at the helm. “Iago's quality is undeniable. I like a lot. Celta depends a lot on him. Coudet wants to be the protagonist and they are vertical when they steal. They play with a diamond in midfield that complicated us last year. We have to remake ourselves. We play in front of our people and after the defeat we have to react”, he harangued.
For that match, with many injuries, Xavi recovers Frenkie de Jong and has summoned Chadi Riad and Marc Casadó, from the reserve team. But above all he made clear his confidence in Piqué, who aims to start. “Gerard is a mentally very strong footballer, one of the ones I have known the most in my career. I'm happy with the veterans, with him, with Busquets and Alba. They command the locker room. I told them they would be important and they will be. With the losses in defense, Piqué even more ”, he abounded.
There are three games in which Lewandowski has not scored and Barça has been kept to zero and, consequently, without winning. The coach insists that the goal should be everyone's responsibility, not just the Pole. “We have to improve the goalscoring ability of those in front. Everyone has to contribute goals. Perhaps we have to focus better and take more advantage of fouls and strategy. Now everyone will score except Robert. Football is like that."
