Europa League: Barca wants to beat Man Utd at Old Trafford says Xavi
Xavi insists that his team will not be fearful
After Barcelona and Manchester United produced a thrilling first leg in their Europa League encounter last Thursday, there was no shortage of football lovers immediately counting down to the decisive second match, which kicks off at Old Trafford on Thursday evening.
Among them, for sure, is the Catalan club’s head coach, Xavi.
“I have very good memories of the games I played in England, simply because it is so special to play there — it is the cradle of football,” says the man who established himself as one of Barcelona’s modern legends in a 17-year career with the club, which included Champions League final wins over United in 2009 and 2011, and who is at the start of a new chapter in that relationship, having been appointed 15 months ago.
Not that Xavi, who looks relaxed during our interview at his home a few days before the big game, is underestimating the task facing his team. He is a big admirer of Erik ten Hag, the Dutchman who took charge of United at the start of this season and whose CV includes a 4-1 victory away to Real Madrid that knocked out the present Champions League holders in 2019, when he was in charge of Ajax.
“He is very good, I like him a lot,” Xavi says. “He has built a team and is getting the best out of all his players. That speaks well of him. Tactically he is very good and he handles the dressing room very well. He is getting all the talent out of his players. You see [Jadon] Sancho, [Marcus] Rashford, the Portuguese guy [Bruno Fernandes]. And look how Fred is playing . . .”
So he is expecting a difficult game?
“Difficult? Well, we’ve known that since [the draw was made]. We are a brave team that likes to attack and always win. [This game] will not be an exception. It’s like a big Champions League game that, due to circumstances — because we’ve made mistakes and because both teams are ultimately in a building phase — is being played in the Europa League. But for the fans, it’s a massively interesting match. And, for the players, one of those matches that everyone wants to play at least once in their life.”
Xavi insists that his team will not be fearful, an emotion he thinks is at odds with Barcelona’s culture. “Fear? Fear of what? On the contrary, Old Trafford motivates — it is one of those stadiums where you want to play at least once in your life, where you have to get the best out of yourself.
“We have to be brave, go all out for the game without complexes. It’s like at the Bernabéu, you have to be brave. And to be a great team you have to win at those grounds. And we want to be a great team. That’s how I see it . . .”
A combination of injuries and suspension will deprive Xavi of three of his leading talents — Pedri, Gavi and Ousmane Dembélé — but he is not one for making excuses. “That can’t be an excuse,” he insists. “Someone else will play. It doesn’t alter the fact that we have to win. And we can do it, I’m sure. At the Camp Nou we could have won. In the end, football is a game of mistakes. And when you commit too many, you lose. It will be a great game and we want to win it.”
