Elche hosted Barça today in a tense affair in the 27th Matchday of LaLiga Santander. Barça came out 2-1 victors, with goals from Ferran & Memphis sealing the comeback. Xavi, ter Stegen, and Ferran Torres spoke after the game.
Here is what Xavi had to say:
On the significance of the result:
“It’s our fourth win in a row, something we haven’t done for a long time. We are on the right track.”
On the proceedings of the game:
“After the half-time break, we looked for solutions, the players understood and we created many chances. It went well and the result is very fair, I think we should have even won more easily.”
On Elche:
“They played a great game, it was very difficult to find the interiors because they man-marked them, but we surpassed them in intensity. The victory is vital for us.”
On what the result means for Barça’s chances in LaLiga:
“I don’t know if the League will be close; now the feeling is very good. It’s been a long time since we had four wins in a row, it’s a sign that the players believe in what we do, the dynamic is positive and that’s fundamental.”
On the first half:
“I was very upset at the break, we were losing a game that we should have been winning due to the chances generated, knowing that Edgar Badia had a great game. I was convinced that if we attacked better we could win, like we did in the end.”
On the influence of substitutes in his reign:
“It’s hard for me to leave people on the bench who don’t deserve it, like Eric, Mingueza or Riqui. Now I have a great range of possibilities ahead, I have to make decisions, like leaving Braithwaite out of the squad and he doesn’t deserve it. I’m delighted to have these strikers, it’s wonderful.”
On Memphis:
“It is amazing how he took the penalty and it will be very important for us.”
On Araùjo:
“He is the one who improved the most since we arrived. Today he was the free man (libero), he is daring, going up, looking for changes in the game… that is what we demand of him. Without the ball, he is already one of the best in the world, with the ball he is the one that is growing the most.”
On his discussion with Elche’s manager at the end of the game:
“We talked at the end of the game, as a result of the tension, but we should not focus on what happened, I have the utmost respect for him and Elche. And with Pere Milla we were joking, we have friends in common.”
Here is what ter Stegen had to say:
On his performance:
“It was an afternoon for me with little work. They played a good game. It was a long-suffering game and a hard-fought game. I’m super happy with the three points and the victory. I always try to be focused and waiting for the balls to come to me”.
On Elche’s performance:
“They did not allow us to play our game. They followed us one by one all over the field. In the end we looked for other things in the second half and it went well for us. Congratulations to the whole team.”
On the penalty decisions:
“You can always discuss a lot about hands in the area. In this case (Alba) I don’t think it’s a penalty. I haven’t seen it on TV, but live it seemed to me that the hand is next to his body. There was another one with Busi, which was also not a penalty. We can’t take our shoulders off when we enter the area. It is what it is. The referee decided and decided well.”
Here is what Ferran Torres had to say:
On his goal:
“I’m very happy to have scored this goal and to help the team get the victory. Now we have to think about Thursday’s game.”
On the team’s performance:
“We haven’t lost patience, we’ve had the ball, We played how we wanted and in the end the result has arrived”.
On how the team changed with Xavi:
“With Xavi we made a big change, we are playing with the style we want, which the coach has instilled in us. We are having the results we wanted. I am very happy to be part of this great team, to be able to help the team fight for everything. I am very happy with this dynamic.”
