Xavi talks Frenkie, Dembele, Gavi, Pedri, Pique, Torre ahead of Barcelona vs Athletic Club

After a forgettable last week, Barcelona will hope to end this one on a high when they face off against former manager Ernesto Valverde’s Athletic Club in La Liga on Sunday.

The Catalans failed to defeat Inter Milan and then lost to Real Madrid the previous week, resulting in immense pressure on Xavi. However, they bounced back in tremendous style, beating Villarreal 3-0 at home on Thursday.

And Barça will be aiming to build on that win and grab all three points against the Basque country outfit on Sunday. On the eve of the game, Xavi attended his customary pre-match press conference, where he discussed his team selections and possible rotations.

On Athletic Club: “We expect a difficult opponent who plays intensely and aggressively. They recover the ball quickly and press perfectly. Alverde is a coach who will make the task difficult for us. It will be a different match than Villarreal.”

On rotations: “Yes we will make some changes, we want to be 100%.”

On Ousmane Dembele: “We have to work hard on the flanks, Dembele has talent, there iare not many like him on the wings. He might lose some balls but he can make a difference.

“Every player we have is different, Raphinha, Ferran, Ansu, and Ousmane. They can dribble and win. Ousmane will be an important player for us.”

On Frenkie de Jong: “I spoke to Frenkie. He’s a player who’s happy when he has more of the ball.”

“I love Frenkie, he has great potential. He is very good in defense but he’s even better in attack, he gets to the area and knows how to make the last pass. He played a great match the other day and has to have continuity.”

On Gavi’s Golden Boy award win: “I want to congratulate Gavi, he deserves it. Amazing player and unique in his way of playing, he is very strong defensively, and offensively he sees everything. He is still 18 and that’s amazing.”

On Ernesto Valverde: “He was an amazing coach, he’s an amazing person and he did a great job at Barcelona. For me he was excellent.”

On Pedri and Gavi: “Pedri and Gavi are in similar roles to that Iniesta and I played, but we must not compare. They have a strong present and future here.”

On Ansu Fati: “Ansu is someone who can make a difference and he has done that. He is very important to us.”

On Pablo Torre: “I want him to play more for sure. In the last match, I would have brought him on but the conditions of the game changed the plans. We have competition in the midfield and it is difficult for him but he is training well and his time will definitely come.”

On the expectations at Barcelona: “There’s always tension here. This is Barça and here you need to win. The other day we played really well, but tomorrow there’s another game against Athletic Club, and it will be complicated for us.”

On Gerard Pique: “I see Piqué doing well, he is ready to help the team.”

On resting Pedri: “I try to let everyone rest, but he is essential to our way of playing.”

On Marcos Alonso: “His physical profile is crucial, he wins duels and he is quick. He has good ball output and is left-footed, which is something important. He has many things.”

On Sergio Busquets: “Busquets will continue to be an important player for the team, like Frenkie.”

On the difference when Frenkie and Busquets play as pivots: “It changes more depending on the opponent. Last game the pivot was the free player, but other times he’s an observer, he has to press high and cover his place and in this Busquets is the professor.”

On Ferran Torres gaining confidence: “Of course. Scoring is important for forwards. His last two matches have been very good. He never stops working. We rate him highly because of the effort he puts in. He is a high-level player whether he scores or not.”

On Jules Kounde’s position: “He can play right-back, it depends on the conditions of the match and the opponent.”

On free-kicks: “We are working on it, we have to get better.”

On squad dynamics: “There are no main players or substitutes, only Barcelona players.”

On Franck Kessie: “He is fine and he has had his moments, but we have competition in midfield. He is training very well, but it is difficult for him. He is a great professional and I’m sure he’ll have his chances this season.”

Source: BarçaTV+

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