Xavi Hernández lamented the lack of effectiveness of FC Barcelona in the goalless draw against Girona, but insisted that "we must give value to this League". "People want to see it in a different way, but you have to give it courage because it's very difficult," said the Catalan coach, who acknowledged that looking at the result he couldn't be satisfied: "We can't be positive with a point at home. If you stay with that, it is not positive, but we are 13 points behind the second with 10 games to go and I think we have to see it that way”.
The Blaugrana coach praised his counterpart on the Girona bench: "Míchel is a great coach", he stated, highlighting the rival's great game: "Girona work very well getting the ball out and on many occasions they have made it difficult for us". Xavi also recalled that at this point in the season, there will be many matches of this intensity: “We are going to find teams like this, who are risking their lives. Next week we are going to Getafe, which is in a similar situation”.
Asked if he is worried about the lack of goals from players like Lewanwoski, with only four goals since the World Cup break: “What worries me is winning the League and we are in a very good situation for that. I always see the positive part. We have had many chances to score against a great team. We lacked effectiveness, but I think we deserved the victory”.
Míchel was more satisfied with the draw and, above all, with a clean sheet, something that his team has only achieved once all season and that has been possible thanks to the "personality" shown by the team. For the visiting coach, this tie reinforces the team's confidence: "I demand that they have a lot of presence up front and have the ability to withdraw, achieving a clean sheet gives us one more incentive to continue working in this way."
Míchel also referred to the confidence he feels in the Catalan club: “When a coach has that feeling, it's wonderful. I've been here for a year and a half and I notice it in the players and also in the club”.
Sergio Busquets, for his part, lamented the missed chances against Girona: “Today we all lacked that little spark, but the team competed and tried to win. We have had chances to score the goal, but it was difficult for us to finish them, hence the goalless draw”. The captain of FC Barcelona assured that the team's goal would not change, despite missing out on the opportunity to leave Real Madrid 15 points behind: “Our goal remains the same, to try to win the League as soon as possible. We want to win everything and if Madrid drop points, better, but at least maintain the advantage if we can't extend it”. “We are all in the same boat and we are rowing in the same direction”, concluded Busquets, remarking the unity of the dressing room.
At Girona, David López valued the merit of leaving a clean sheet against the leader: “It is a very difficult field and a team that has a great facility to score goals. It is very difficult not to fit in, but we have played a very complete game and when we have had to suffer, we have known how to do it. The only 'but' for the Girona footballer was "the lack of a goal". A commendable result that reinforces the great season of Girona, located in the middle zone of the table: "Being a team that has just been promoted, that artificial intelligence gave us last before starting and seeing how tight the League is down, it is to be very proud of everything”, he concluded.
