Getty Xavi is a big admirer of Aleix Garrido
Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez has hailed striker Robert Lewandowski after the Poland international scored twice in Thursday’s 3-0 win over Villarreal at the Camp Nou in La Liga.
Lewandowski took his tally to 11 goals in just 10 league games for the Catalan giants against the Yellow Submarine which drew plenty of praise from his manager after the game, as reported by Marca.
“He is insatiable. He has the goal in his head. He is a killer,” the coach said about his summer signing. “He sees the angles, he is smart, he looks for space, he is a great striker.”
Teenage striker Ansu Fati was also on target as Barcelona bounced back from disappointing results to Inter and Real Madrid to return to winning ways at the Camp Nou.
Lewandowski’s strikes were the 600th and 601st goals of his incredible career. The 34-year-old netted 344 times in 375 games for Bayern Munich and 103 times in 186 outings for previous club Borussia Dortmund.
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Praise For De Jong
Xavi made a host of changes to his team following the defeat to Real Madrid in El Clasico and was rewarded with an impressive performance from his players.
Frenkie de Jong came into the side to replace captain Sergio Busquets and put in a superb showing in midfield alongside teenagers Pedri and Gavi.
Frenkie de Jong vs Villarreal:
2 successful dribbles**
4 tackles won**
9 recoveries*
75/79 passing
94.9% passing precision
** game high
* team high
Xavi made it clear that he was happy with the Dutchman’s performance and explained why he had opted to go with the 25-year-old instead of his captain against Villarreal.
“[He played] very well because we understood that he was the free man. He enjoyed the game, he understood it very well. I’m happy, he deserves it,” he said. “Today we understood that Villarreal with 4-4-2 when we got to the sideline the pivot was free and we believe that Frenkie is the best splitter. He has understood it very well and also the defensive issue. He has been very good, especially in defense, he has been well placed.”
De Jong has endured something of a frustrating season and has not been guaranteed a place in the starting XI. However, this performance will have given his manager plenty to think about, particularly with Busquets having been guilty of errors against Inter and Real Madrid.
Xavi Has ‘High Hopes’ For His Team
Xavi was also happy with the character his team showed in bouncing back from recent disappointments to get back to winning ways. The coach says he still has high hopes for the season despite seeing his team on the brink of Champions League elimination and having been beaten by Real Madrid.
“I think played really well. We needed to react and were due a performance in a big game. It was not an easy day after losing at the Bernabeu and drawing with Inter,” he added. “There are high hopes for this team, a lot is expected. We stepped up and showed character, good intensity, good in defence and, above all, in attack.”
Barcelona return to action in La Liga on Sunday at the Camp Nou with another tricky test against Athletic Club.
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