After the final whistle, a great feeling of helplessness took over the Barça players who, with their hands on their heads, apologized to the 1,500 Barcelona fans who traveled to Naples for the draw they achieved at the Diego Armando Maradona after having dominated greatly. part of the match. There was even a player who, visibly frustrated, hit one of the refrigerators. “We leave with a bitter feeling. It is a pity. We deserved more. It is not a bad result for the second leg but the draw does not prove us right,” Xavi lamented that during the match he barely stepped on the bench. Pointing, ordering and instructing his soccer players. Inviting them to use their heads.
Xavi only jumped for joy once. When Robert Lewandowski opened the ban. The Pole has undoubtedly recovered one of the best versions of him. He already has 18 goals this season, two of them in the Champions League. He took the MVP trophy of the game and to immortalize the moment he took a selfie with his phone. “I feel very good. But we have to score more goals. After the goal we were too defensive. But there is potential,” said the Pole assisted by Pedri, “He is a great player and we always expect a good level from him.”
“The players have been plugged in since the announcement of my departure. It’s not just Lewandowski. The rest too,” Xavi repeats like a mantra. However, in this earthly Barça there is always a ‘but’. Yesterday was not finishing the job. “After 0-1 I missed the team calming down the game. That we dominated more with long transitions. If you don’t give sentences, they tie you up,” lamented Xavi.
“The truth is that we are sad about the result,” Araújo agreed. “We could have won. You have to work more. He needed to stop them better, not lose sight of them,” analyzed the Uruguayan. “We needed to be more effective. It is not a bad result but due to the control we have had for the occasions we are disappointed,” Koundé agreed. “We have not been effective, it is the summary of the entire season,” concluded Xavi, who seems tired of almost always repeating the same football analysis.
Barcelona will have time to analyze what happened and to look for alternatives. Just like the Naples of the recently landed Francesco Calzona on the bench.” In two days we couldn’t do more but in Barcelona we will show our cards,” the coach warned. The return leg will be at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys on March 12. “We will give everything at home. We want to pass the eliminatory. We have shown that we are a team that wants and can compete,” defended Araújo. “The return to the Camp Nou would be easier than to Montjuïc. We will need our fans,” Xavi asked.
Finally, the coach who prefers to see the glass half full, He highlighted that the high pressure of his team prevented Napoli from leaving comfortably from behind. “That’s the way. “Playing like this you will win more than lose,” he stated.
