Xavi Hernandez: 'Barcelona's La Liga lead over Real Madrid not insurmountable'
Xavi Hernandez against Atletico Madrid Jan 2023
Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez was far from content despite his team's hard-fought 1-0 victory over Villarreal in La Liga on Sunday.
Man of the match, Pedri, scored the crucial goal in the 18th minute, but Xavi was critical of his team's attack and pointed to missed opportunities as a reason for concern.
"I saw many pre-goal options which did not materialize," he said. "The last pass was missing, the decision making. We're an attacking team, even if we win by the minimum [score]."
Despite the 11-point lead that Barcelona currently holds over bitter rivals Real Madrid, Xavi refused to take it for granted. "It is not an insurmountable distance, there are 17 games left," he warned.
"We are solid, serious, and hard-working. These games are costly, and it is one more example that the team is solid."
Xavi had high praise for Barcelona's defenders, especially Ronald Araujo who he deemed "extraordinary" and the player who has "grown the most with the ball" since his arrival as head coach. Frenkie de Jong also received praise for his performance.
"The key is the confidence we give [Araujo]," Xavi explained. "He is happy and very important in the team. He is a complete player."
The coach also spoke highly of Pedri, calling him "an innate talent that gives us many things" while operating at a "very high level".
As Barcelona gears up for Thursday's Europa League play-off first leg against Manchester United, Xavi remained cautious.
"Predicting things in a European match is difficult," he said. "We are excited to do a good job and get through the tie."
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