Xavi: "We're fine, but we can't get our chests out"

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The arrival of Xavi Hernández forced the routines of Barcelona's first team to change.

The players spend more time in the Sports City and the youngsters, for example, now join in with the enthusiasm of Dani Alves and Memphis and complement the training sessions with hours in the gym.

The Barça coach was worried about the physical condition of his squad;

but, above all, football.

"It's strange that there are Barça players who don't understand the position game", the Catalan coach was surprised as soon as he landed at the Camp Nou.

Xavi doesn't burden his players with long group talks, but he does carry out specific tasks with each one of them.

And, according to the Barca coach, his hand is already beginning to be felt.

“We are improving because we are on top of the player”, Xavi stressed.

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“We have to continue with this intensity and with this rhythm.

The ball circulates quickly and with fewer touches.

We have already reached the top four, now we have to consolidate ourselves”, explained Xavi.

Since he took charge of the team, Barcelona have obtained 21 of the 30 possible points and, after last weekend's victory against Atlético de Madrid, they are in the Champions League positions.

“I don't rule out the League.

We are fourth and we want to continue climbing, but we have to continue working with humility.

We're fine, but we can't get our chests out”, explained Xavi.

And he detailed the aspects that his team still needs to improve: “Know how to attack in the spaces, not disconnect in the strategy and that the extremes that arrive in the scoring plays.

But at a tactical level we have won a lot.

Now we swing in zone and in general we are improving”.

Vicente Moreno and Xavi Hernández, in the preview of the Catalan derby this Friday at the RCDE Stadium. Quique Garcia (EFE)

Barcelona will face Espanyol again this Sunday (9:00 p.m., Movistar LaLiga).

It was precisely in the derby last November (1-0, for Barça), when Xavi made his debut as Barça coach.

“We will see an Espanyol similar to the one at Camp Nou, we have improved, we have new players, we are in a good moment and we want to consolidate this moment.

The derby is a litmus test, against an intense rival and with a crowd that will push.

It will be a footballing revenge for them”, highlighted the Barça coach.

“It's a special game for everyone, we have that responsibility to leave everything to ourselves, to win and to give that happiness.

It's a good antidote to everything, we're going to go win”, responded Vicente Moreno, Blue and White coach.

Espanyol have lost three of their last four La Liga games and have never been able to beat Barcelona since moving to Cornellà.

In the duel of the first round, however, he put Barcelona in a tight spot at the Camp Nou.

“We didn't win, but the feeling was that we deserved to win.

That said, many times the approach against a team against Barça is not that you want to be behind.

Madrid, for example, brings you close to their goal.

In the derby we changed the film in the second part, we were able to submit them.

We will do different things.

It's about winning, it will be good if we do.

But this match will have nothing to do with the previous one”, concluded the Espanyol coach.

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