Champions League: Xavi speaks on Barcelona loss to Bayern despite fielding Lewandowski
Barcelona were defeated by goals from Lucas Hernandez and Leroy Sane in the second half.
Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez has revealed his displeasure following his side’s 2-0 defeat to Bayern Munich in their second Group C match of the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League.
After missing numerous opportunities in the first half, Barcelona were defeated by goals from Lucas Hernandez and Leroy Sane in the second half.
Speaking after the game, the former Barcelona player confessed that the Blaugrana’s misses proved to be too expensive.
One difference between Barcelona and Bayern Munich
“The difference between us and Bayern is that they don’t forgive in front of goal,” Xavi said while insisting that the result was not a fair reflection of the entire game.
“The result is not a reflection of the entire match. But this is the Champions League. If you miss chances, you will end up paying that. We messed up. This defeat is a step backwards,” he continued.
“Our marking in the corner was very bad, and we should have fouled the runner in the play for the second goal. They stop the game and we don’t. That is what competing means.”
“I’m mad because we should have won. We played a match to win. Lewandowski missed chances, Pedri got two, Raphinha from outside the box. This is disappointing and unfair.”
“Competing means winning corners, closing transitions, or having a chance in front of the goalkeeper and scoring it. I’m leaving angry. We had to win today. We have to be more effective in both of the areas,” Xavi added.
Blame on Barcelona players, not referee
“I didn’t see the Dembele foul, but everyone is telling me it was a penalty. Regardless, I don’t want to comment on referees,” the 42-year-old said, reacting to a controversial moment in the first half when Ousmane Dembele was fouled by Alphonso Davies in the Bayern box.
“I asked the ref during halftime to be honest and tell me if it was a penalty. He said it wasn’t.”
“We had 6 or 7 clear chances to score. The first half was ours. We did enough not only to draw, but we should have won. We should learn from our mistakes and keep working hard,” he added, further expressing his frustration over the result.
Barcelona will attempt to turn things around when they take on Elche in La Liga on Saturday afternoon.
