Xavi talks Benfica result, Dembele, Bayern Munich clash after UCL draw

Given what was at stake, Barcelona needed to grab all three points against SL Benfica in their UEFA Champions League Group E game on Tuesday night at Camp Nou.

However, that was not to be, as Xavi Hernandez’s men were held to a goalless stalemate by the Portuguese giants, which meant that Barca will now have a daunting challenge ahead of them to book a place in the knockout stages.

Indeed, the Catalans will need to bag a win from their trip to Bayern Munich on the final matchday or hope that Benfica end up dropping points against Dynamo Kyiv in order to make it through to the next round.

Speaking after the game, manager Xavi claimed that his side were superior to their opponents by far, but lacked the killer instincts to finish the game off. “We were far better than Benfica and we played a great game. We only missed the goal. If we had scored, we would be talking about a great game,” he said.

“I’m not happy with the result. But I’m ready with the game, spirit, sacrifice and attitude. I think we played a game to win. We generated superiorities with Nico, Busquets, Gavi. We lacked the final pass,” he added.

Xavi also bemoaned the lack of predatory instincts that his team displayed in front of goal, highlighting the need of bringing in a new striker in January. “When you have a chance in the area, you don’t have to think. I’m not just talking about Memphis. You have to shoot, you have to try, be fast. What we must do is regain the confidence of the players who can score goals. We will see what we can do on the market in January,” he added.

Speaking of the crucial game against Bayern Munich, the 41-year-old said: “We have to go to Munich to win. We’ll be in Munich with two more weeks of training. We’re on the right track. It’s a shame we didn’t score the goal that would have made the difference. We have to be more daring.”

“I’m still optimistic. We’re Barça, we have talent and players to make a difference. But today we added one point and that’s not Barça worthy.”

Xavi also addressed the fact that he had rushed Ousmane Dembele back into action for the game despite his recent injury issue. He hailed the Frenchman’s impact off the bench, but lamented that his contributions did not lead to a goal. “The dynamics of the game changed with him on the pitch. He’s a player who can make a difference and it has been a pity that none of his actions ended in a goal,” he added.

Source: BarcaTV+