Xavi talks Ansu Fati, Alba and Dembele after the defeat to Athletic Club | OneFootball

Barcelona’s defence of the Copa del Rey crown came to a premature end as they crashed out of the competition after losing 2-3 to Athletic Club at San Mames on Thursday night.

The hosts went ahead just two minutes into the game through Iker Muniain but Barça struck back through Ferran Torres in the 20th minute. There were no more goals in the contest until very late in normal time as Inigo Martinez made it 2-1 in favour of the Basque club in the 86th minute before Pedri levelled things up in stoppage time.

However, an extra-time penalty from Muniain swung it in favour of Athletic. Reacting to the outcome of the game, Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez said:

“Bilbao played very, very well. We tried to compete, but it’s been tough. The game was very intense. They were better than us in set pieces, and it was very clear. I saw a very strong Athletic. It’s tough. Now we have to focus on the league, the Europa League, and keep working hard.”

“The match was so difficult. Athletic is so physical, so strong. We could never really control the course of the game. We were not comfortable. Congratulations to them for their intensity level. As for us, we have to keep working hard and believe in the project,” he added.

The result comes days after the Blaugrana had been eliminated in the Spanish Supercup semi-final by eventual winners, Real Madrid. Xavi admitted that it was hard to digest getting eliminated from two competitions in such quick succession, but insisted that the team needs to keep looking forward.

“The most important thing is to recover mentally. It’s a massive blow to lose two titles in a few days. Now what? We have no choice but to continue. We have to try and win every game,” he said.

When asked if Ousmane Dembele’s presence would have altered the outcome of the game, the manager replied: “No. I don’t think Dembélé’s presence would have changed anything. He’s an important player, but we have taken that decision as a club. We all agree.”

Jordi Alba endured a torrid night at left-back, but Xavi refused to lay the blame at the Spaniard’s feet for the defeat. “He suffered from discomfort early on. I will not speak on any individual player today. The whole defense suffered,” the Barça boss added.

The game also saw some Barcelona players pick up injuries, including the recently-returned Ansu Fati. Speaking of the injuries on the night, the manager said: “Jordi Alba, Piqué and Pedri all finished the game with some discomfort. Pedri seemed fine. I think it’s nothing. With Ansu, we’ll have to wait for the tests tomorrow.”

Barcelona will return to action on Sunday when they face Deportivo Alaves in La Liga.

Source: BarcaTV+