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Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez singled out goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen and striker Robert Lewandowski for praise after seeing his team beat Real Mallorca 1-0 on Saturday in La Liga.
Lewandowski scored the only goal of the game with a brilliant strike, while Ter Stegen kept another clean sheet for his side. The Germany international also caught the eye with an important save from Jaume Costa in the first half.
Xavi spoke to reporters after the match and made it clear just how important the contributions of the two players were to his side’s victory at Son Moix, as reported by Diario AS.
“It would not be right to explain everything with Ter Stegen and Lewandowski, there is more to it than that,” he said. “Although it’s clear that they have made the difference tonight. Marc is in spectacular form. And Robert is a world-class goal scorer, maybe the best in the world.”
Lewandowski now has nine goals for Barcelona in La Liga since joining from Bayern Munich in the summer and Xavi admitted the Poland international virtually guarantees goals for his side.
“He has made a difference, yes. But also the defensive line. But there are other key aspects. It has been a game in which we have not shone but we took the victory,” he added. “He is a guarantee, but I always think that everyone can make a difference. Lewandowski is a guarantee of success and goals.”
Saturday’s win is Barcelona’s sixth straight victory in La Liga and takes the team top of the table ahead of Real Madrid’s clash against Osasuna on Sunday.
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Xavi Beats Zidane’s Record
Barcelona’s win over Real Mallorca means the Catalans are still unbeaten away from under Xavi. The 18-game run without defeat also means Xavi has beaten a record previously held by Zinedine Zidane at Real Madrid.
The Frenchman went 17 games unbeaten after taking charge of Los Blancos in October 2021 which was a La Liga record. However, Xavi has now moved past Zidane and is out on his own with his current streak.
Barcelona’s next game away from home in La Liga is actually against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday, October 16. Los Blancos are yet to drop even a point in the Spanish top flight this season.
New Record For Ter Stegen
Saturday’s game also saw Ter Stegen set a new record at Barcelona. The Germany international is on his longest streak without conceding a goal for the Catalan giants and has not been beaten for over 500 minutes.
🚨 𝙉𝙀𝙒 𝙋𝙀𝙍𝙎𝙊𝙉𝘼𝙇 𝙍𝙀𝘾𝙊𝙍𝘿 !! Marc ter Stegen has just surpassed his previous best of 500 minutes without conceding! Congratulations, @mterstegen1! Keep going!👏👏👏👏👏
Ter Stegen has only conceded once in La Liga so far in 2022-23 and that goal came back in August when Alexander Isak scored for Real Sociedad in a 4-1 defeat to Barcelona at Anoeta.
The stopped spoke after the match but insisted the three points were more important than his personal record, as reported by Mundo Deportivo.
“The victory is more important than the record. And even more so in this type of match,” he said. “These victories give you the conviction and the security of entering the positive dynamic, it gives us life because we keep up the pressure.”
The goalkeeper came in for criticism last season for his performances for Barcelona but appears back to his best this season after taking a summer offer and opting out of playing for Germany in the Nations League.
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Xavi Singles Out Two Players For Praise After Barcelona Win