2022-05-06
Barcelona coach, Xavi Hernández, insisted this Friday that his team has to “enter the Champions League no matter what” before facing Betis on Saturday in LaLiga matchday 35.
“The objective, which is not covered, is to qualify for the Champions League and if it can be like second, which gives us the option of playing in the Super Cup, the better”, said Xavi, at the press conference prior to the match with Betis.
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“These are minimum goals, I have come with the illusion of winning titles. This year has not given us, we will see next year how we are. We have to get into the Champions League no matter what”, stated the Barça coach.
The Barcelona team might mathematically secure that Champions League place if they win on Saturday once morest Betis.
Xavi announced that central defender Gerard Piqué “has discomfort in the adductor tendon and will be out tomorrow” and as for goalkeeper Marc-André Ter Stegen “yesterday he had stomach discomfort, we’ll see how he is tomorrow, he wants to be, but today he didn’t feel well He hasn’t been out on the field.”
The Barça coach was also asked regarding the difference between his team, which endorsed Real Madrid 4-0 at the Santiago Bernabéu, and the teams that the meringues have eliminated in the Champions League.
“The difference between the teams eliminated by Real Madrid and us is that when we were able to finish them off, we finished them off”, explained Xavi.
“History says it, when you forgive them 0-2, 0-3… they end up coming back. They are great climbers,” he said.
“Madrid has these things that when you forgive them they are capable of coming back. In these games, if they score they start to believe it, they start with faith, it’s their DNA”, he added.
Xavi ruled out, however, that his team might spend so many games appealing to the epic: “It would cost us more, we have a different style of play, but we have won games that we thought we had lost.”
On making the aisle: “It’s a sign of respect and sportsmanship. Betis deserves it. They have won a competition in which we compete. For me there is no need to think further. If we don’t show this to the fans, we will make a mistake.”
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In turn, he explained that he reminded his players that it was his turn to do it at the Bernabéu: “I talked regarding it with the players, I reminded them that I made a corridor to Madrid, and they agreed with me”.
