Barcelona players will play a match against Shakhtar today in the third round of the group stage of the Champions League, and after that, Xavi Hernandez’s team will face the first El Clasico of the season.
Before the duel with the Ukrainian team, the coach of the Catalans points out that his team’s goal is known, but that the opponents’ previous matches warned them that they will not have an easy task.
“If we think that it will be easy against them, there is every chance that we can lose. This is a match of vital importance, these are key points if you want to achieve the goal of reaching the next stage of the competition. And Shakhtar is a dynamic, strong opponent. They are not afraid, they play with joy, and they attack. We have been warned,” said Xavi.
Xavi devoted most of the press conference to the game against Real on Saturday.
“I don’t believe they are overly happy that the match is coming, they feel hurt. I don’t think too much of it either. Ancelotti is right, you can complain about the refereeing and they punish you with two matches. I agree with him on that issue,” says Xavi.
A good relationship between great rivals brings respect and admiration for both sides, unlike the tensions that sometimes arise, according to the Spanish coach.
“I like that there is respect and harmony between the clubs. Tensions do not produce anything good. It’s positive to have a rivalry, but there’s also respect and admiration. It’s just a football match. We are concentrating on that,” Xavi concluded.
The match against Shakhtar will be played tonight at 18:45, while “El Clasico” is scheduled for Saturday at 16:15.