After two weeks without action (since 0-3 against Atlético, on March 17), Barça returns to the League today against Las Palmas (9:00 p.m.), 11th placed. It will be a “transcendental” match, according to Xavi Hernández, to “continue fighting for the League”, which the Terrassa coach considers still alive with nine games left. Eight points separate the Blaugrana from Real Madrid, who host Athletic tomorrow (9:00 p.m.).
Revived by the three matches prior to the national team break (consecutive victories against Mallorca, Naples and Atlético), Xavi Hernández was imbued with the miraculous spirit of Holy Week to breathe new hope into Barcelona fans, who were rather skeptical of illusions. “I have told [the players] to forget about the national team. We are here again and there are two titles at stake [League and Champions]. Until now, we had competed excellently, at times brilliantly. Hopefully we can continue this positive dynamic,” said the coach in reference to the good dynamic prior to the national team stoppage.
Although Barça has only been able to cut two points off the leader in the last five league games, Xavi considers that winning the championship is still possible with nine games left (27 points at stake). “We are going to focus on the League, I think we can fight for it, it is vital to win the three points to put more pressure on Real Madrid,” the Egarense coach encouraged his team and the Blaugrana fans to dream.
Since Xavi announced that he will not continue on the Blaugrana bench next year the day they lost resoundingly against Villarreal (3-5, on January 27), Barça has been revitalized: they have added 20 points out of a possible 24 in the League. Against the Canarian team they want to chain their ninth league match without defeat. Although it won’t be an easy nut.
The Las Palmas coached by the Catalan Francisco Javier García Pimienta, a former Barça B coach who was considered for the Blaugrana bench, is a low-cost version of the Barcelona team.
“They are a rival that plays football very well, they have a style similar to ours, what we want to do, it will be difficult for us to take the ball away from them, but we have to do it to be protagonists. He doesn’t give you the ball, he has personality, he goes up high, he dares, he is brave, he puts the defense line very high. It is a difficult match, a good test for the rest of the season,” commented Xavi, who remembers the difficulties that Barça went through in Las Palmas.
In the first round, on January 4, on matchday 19, the Blaugrana team had serious difficulties to win at the Gran Canaria stadium; He did it with a goal from Gündogan from a penalty in the 92nd minute.
For today’s match at the Olímpic Lluís Companys in Montjuïc, Xavi will be able to count on all the internationals, safe from his commitments during the break with his national teams. Although the main novelty in the team will be the return of Ferran Torres, who has not played since January 31 due to injury and will be discharged after completing his physical recovery. “It will be the weekend of Ferran’s definitive return, he is very good, we played two games with the youth team to get into rhythm and he has done very well, he is 100%.”
Christensen, who continues “with discomfort in his Achilles and will surely not be in the squad”, will not be there, nor Pedri, who has returned to training on the pitch and is working to be able to be in the Champions League against PSG on April 10.
