Xavi, the Barcelona coach, has asserted that Napoli exerted dominance over his team during their recent Champions League Round of 16 encounter, albeit for only a brief period of 10 minutes. This, he suggests, was the reason why Barcelona had to settle for a draw, as stated by the coach during his customary LaLiga pre-match press conference on Friday, preceding their upcoming fixture against Getafe.
In emphasizing the significance of every remaining match, Xavi underscored the necessity for Barcelona to maintain consistency if they aspire to clinch both the LaLiga title and the Champions League trophy this season. “We must back up our words. We have to act, and I think the team has acted very well,” he remarked.
Reflecting on the Napoli clash, which culminated in a 1-1 draw with goals from star strikers Robert Lewandowski and Victor Osimhen, Xavi acknowledged Barcelona’s commendable physical performance while acknowledging a potential lapse in mental composure. He observed, “On a physical level, we were very good. Perhaps we had a bit of a mental issue. We should have calmed the game down, but we let Napoli dominate us for those 10 minutes. It was never a physical issue.”
Looking ahead to the forthcoming fixture, Xavi emphasized continuity in team selection, indicating minimal alterations from the Napoli encounter. Barcelona and Napoli are scheduled to meet once again for the second leg of the Champions League Round of 16 on Tuesday, March 12, with the match set to commence at 20:00 at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys.