Xavi talks Luuk de Jong, ter Stegen after Barça beat Mallorca

Barcelona kicked off their 2022 with a winning note as they defeated 1-0 RCD Mallorca away from home on Sunday night.

The Catalan giants controlled possession for the most part but seemed to lack that bit of incision in the final third to hurt their hosts. However, a 44th-minute strike from Luuk de Jong was enough for the Blaugrana to bag all three points on the night.

Marc-Andre ter Stegen also came up clutch, producing a vital save late in the contest to preserve his team’s lead. The result lifts Barça to the fifth position in the La Liga standings, just a point shy of Atletico Madrid in fourth.

Speaking to the media after the game, manager Xavi Hernandez hailed the unity within the team, saying: “Winning today showed that we are so united as a team. We suffered in the end, but Marc’s save was great for us. He needed that too. We are a team. We are a family.”

The 41-year-old also touched upon the circumstances heading into the match as Barcelona were without 16 players due to Covid and injuries.

“We asked for the game to be postponed. But they did not listen to us, and we did win in the end. They are three golden points for our aspirations. Everyone on top of us except for Atletico Madrid dropped points,” he added.

Xavi was full of praise for his match-winner Luuk de Jong, whose time at Barcelona is close to coming to an end. The manager also hailed Riqui Puig for his performance.

“Luuk and Riqui had a great game. We dominated for most of the match and we’re quite happy with the result. Luuk de Jong is a role model for the rest of the players. He does not have a lot of minutes, but he always works hard and is very professional. Of course, I would count on him for the rest of the season if he stays,” the Barça head coach said.

The manager also spoke in detail about Ter Stegen’s recent problems on the pitch, stating: “Ter Stegen is suffering from an unusual lack of confidence. But that save today was incredible, he needed it so much.”

Xavi also provided an update on Dani Alves and Jordi Alba’s condition, saying: “Dani Alves and Jordi Alba have tested negative for Covid-19 already.”

Source: BarcaTV+