Xavi talks Vitor Roque, Lewandowski, Joao Felix, VAR, Martinez after Barbastro 2-3 Barcelona | OneFootball

Barcelona advanced to the next round of Copa Del Rey thanks to a narrow 3-2 victory over UD Barbastro on Sunday evening.

It was expected to be a walk in the park for the Catalan side, up against the fourth-tier outfit. But Barbastro put up quite a fight, with a late goal from Marc Prat Serrano leading to a tense ending to an exquisite game.

Needless to say, Xavi Hernandez was not happy with Barça’s performance on the night, especially in the final third.

“We’re having a difficult time to score. It’s complicated. It should have been an easy match to score. We suffered more than we should have in the last minutes,” Xavi said (h/t Mundo Deportivo) after the game.

The Barcelona forwards were indeed a bit wasteful going forward, with new signing Vitor Roque, in particular, enduring a tough night.

Xavi, though, believes both Roque and Robert Lewandowski can form a strong partnership upfront. “Vitor Roque and Lewandowski can play together. I think they complement each other perfectly, and Vitor can play on the left,” he said.

The Spaniard went on to suggest that he was surprised by Barbastro’s performance on the night.

“Barbastro did not surprise me. We analyzed the Almería match and they are very aggressive, with good pressure. They have treated us very well, I wish them all the best,” he said.

Barbastro performance: Xavi saw it coming (Photo by PAU BARRENA/AFP via Getty Images)

“They were extra motivated, it was the game of their lives. And with that momentum, if you give away and don’t have all the intensity, it could change the game,” the coach added.

A major highlight in the game saw Xavi being pushed by a Barbastro player. When asked about the incident, the Barça coach maintained his composure, adding, “There are no problems with the Barbastro players. I just spoke to their coach. Don’t look for tension where it doesn’t exist.”

It must be noted that the Barbastro player who did push Xavi, did approach the Barcelona coach after the game and apologised.

Xavi also commented on Joao Felix’s goal, which was ruled out offside. The Barcelona coach lamented the absence of VAR, adding, “Joao’s goal was legal. It’s a shame that we don’t have VAR for these matches. In 2024, every match should have VAR.”

Although most Barcelona players were able to escape this unscathed, there are growing concerns over the fitness of Inigo Martinez, who had to be hooked off after a relapse.

Talking about the Spaniard, Xavi said, “I hope Iñigo Martinez’s injury is not serious, but he told me that the injury was in the other leg. We’ll see tomorrow.”

Moving on, Barcelona will take on CA Osasuna in the Spanish Super Cup semifinal in Saudi Arabia. Xavi deems the tournament an absolute priority.

“We are motivated by the Super Cup. This month the Super Cup and, to a large extent, the Cup will be decided,” the coach said.