Xavi talks Dembele, Dest, Lewandowski and Pjanic after Barcelona 2-2 Juventus

Barcelona were held to a 2-2 draw by Juventus in the third pre-season friendly encounter of their ongoing US tour.

Having picked up wins against Inter Miami and Real Madrid, Barça took the lead against Juve in the first period through Ousmane Dembele in the 34th minute, but Moise Kean levelled things up five minutes later.

However, Dembele reinstated the Catalans’ lead immediately after, putting the Blaugrana in the driving seat heading into half-time. But Kean struck back again to make it 2-2 six minutes into the second period.

Barcelona came close to winning it in the second half as both Raphinha and Ansu Fati struck the woodwork in the space of seconds, with the clash ending in a stalemate.

Manager Xavi Hernandez spoke to the media after the contest and talked about the performance and the result, stating that he was happy with the direction the team are headed in.

“We have to keep a level head. We are on the right track, yes. But from here to thinking about success or that we can easily win things, we are far from it. We must be humble. The grass and the high temperatures have hurt us, but I am very happy,” he said.

The Barça manager was full of praise for Dembele, who scored a brace against the Italians, saying: “Today he showed what he can do. Ousmane is a special player, there are not many like him, he must make the difference and be more consistent.”

“I don’t know how Dembele was before my arrival in November but since I arrived I’ve seen him very happy and he always makes the difference, so I insisted so hard about him staying,” the 42-year-old added.

Xavi also spoke about marquee summer signing Robert Lewandowski and what he brings to the table, while also adding that his teammates must try and find him regularly in the box.

“Lewandowski is very smart and can position himself near the goal, he will help us a lot. We have to look for Lewandowski more, especially when they pressure us.We need to look for him to be more active in the opponent’s half, this is our goal,” he said.

The Barcelona manager also had words of praise for Sergino Dest, who looks all set to be the first-choice right-back for the club heading into the new season.

“Dest was good. He is a versatile player and defends well. Dest is a player with great potential and is still young and an important project for the future,” the manager stated.

Xavi also claimed that he was pleased with the performance of Miralem Pjanic, but refused to rule out an exit for the veteran midfielder.

“I liked him a lot. He found the interiors very well. He has a vision that is unique. He is a great player. We will see what happens from now until the end of the market,” he said.

Sergi Roberto also got minutes in the game, starting against Juve but was hooked off just 32 minutes into the game. Explaining the decision, Xavi said: “Something that was agreed upon before the match. We should not take risks.”

The manager also explained that members of the youth squad are not finding game-time due to the intense competition for places in the team. “The youth are struggling to win a position and there is a lot of competition in the squad,” Xavi added.

Barcelona will next take on New York Red Bulls FC in their final friendly encounter in the US before returning home.

Source: BarçaTV+