Xavi Hernández, the coach of FC Barcelona, decided to skip the talk and focus on action after facing many surprises this season when he expected the team to step up. He urged everyone to look at the facts, just before the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 against Naples at the Diego Armando Maradona. “We faced a similar moment in Porto against Shakhtar. If we make it to the quarterfinals, it’ll be another one. That’s our goal for tomorrow. We need to compete and enjoy the game. The Champions League has been a challenge for the club in recent years, and we’ll see if we can rise to the occasion,” explained the man from Terrassa.
Xavi believes his players are already fired up for the match on Wednesday in Naples. “This game brings excitement, hope, and motivation to progress to the quarterfinals. It’s the pinnacle of club competitions and the perfect stage to showcase our abilities,” he shared. However, the Barça coach admitted uncertainty about their opponents due to the recent change in coaching just 48 hours before the game. ” Naples made a surprising coaching change, but the new coach is familiar with the team. It adds a layer of unpredictability for us. We’re up against the Scudetto champions and need to be wary of their attacking prowess,” he warned.
No favorites
The Barça coach refused to pick favorites, even though Naples is going through a rough patch. “It’s a 50-50 situation. Both teams have had their victories. This season hasn’t been the best for Naples or us. Regardless of what we say, the real conversation happens on the field tomorrow at nine. It’s time to let our performance do the talking,” he emphasized.
Xavi admitted that the team needs to be careful going into the match. “We need to be a bit more cautious, get ready for the game in the best way we can, knowing that there are still 90 minutes left in Montjuïc. But we will stick to our style of play. It’s going to be tough.”
This content has been translated and adapted from the Spanish version of the digital newspaper
