Xavi names Real Madrid duo, Man United star as toughest players vs Barcelona so far | OneFootball

Barcelona manager Xavi has said that the likes of Vinicius Jr. and Karim Benzema are among the toughest players he has ever come up against.

Speaking in an interview with Mundo Deportivo, the former midfielder spoke extensively on Real Madrid and how Barcelona’s 3-1 win over the Los Blancos in the Supercopa Espana final remains his most memorable win.

The 43-year-old is set to complete 100 matches as Barcelona manager and during his brief managerial stint, he has come up against several top managers, including Jurgen Klopp and Carlo Ancelotti to name a few.

However, when asked about which player has been the toughest to play against, he mentioned three names.

“[Marcus] Rashford cost us a lot. Also Vinicius, Benzema,” said the Barça manager.

Interestingly enough, former Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema has been an absolute headache for the Barcelona manager, with the forward scoring a total of four goals in his last three games against Barcelona.

This includes a 4-0 win over the Blaugrana in the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final. In the same game, Vinicius was on the scoresheet as well. Furthermore, during the 1-3 defeat in Spanish Supercup, it was Benzema who scored the only goal for Real Madrid.

Karim Benzema and Vinicius Jr have scored five goals combined in their last three matches against Barcelona (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)

Xavi’s special moment

Speaking about the Spanish Supercup, Xavi also mentioned that the win in January remains one of the highlights of his brief managerial career.

“The victory in the Super Cup against Madrid [is the best match of my career]. It was our first title, against Madrid and the game that day perfectly reflects the idea we want,” he said.

The Barça manager also said that Real Madrid happen to be one of the most complicated teams he has ever faced and Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich are there on his list too.

Be that as it may, Xavi’s form against Real Madrid, despite being relatively new to the managerial department, has been quite good, with Barcelona winning five of the eight Clasicos. This includes back-to-back wins in the Spanish Supercup and the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final.