Getty Xavi has offered an update on Pedri.
Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez offered an update on key midfielder Pedri after seeing his side knocked out of the Europa League at the quarter-final stage by Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt.
The Catalans drew 1-1 in Germany in the first leg but were beaten 3-2 at the Camp Nou in the return. A tough night for the Catalan giants was made even more difficult when Pedri was forced off at half-time.
Xavi spoke about the teenager after the game and admitted it’s a tough break for Barcelona, as reported by Diario AS. He explained, “Let’s see what Pedri has, it’s bad news. We have to recover players and continue competing from Monday.”
Barcelona have confirmed that Pedri has a hamstring problem and will undergo more tests to determine the severity of the injury. The Catalan giants play again on Monday, April 18 against Cadiz in La Liga.
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Xavi Disappointed By Europa League Defeat
Barcelona had been favorites to lift the Europa League but can have few complaints after going out to Eintracht Frankfurt. Xavi says his team are disappointed but can’t fault the players for their effort at the Camp Nou.
“They found themselves with the penalty and then the great goal. We were behind and then the third came. We haven’t been well. We haven’t been able to generate what we had to generate in attack. We have had control. They are mistakes that are paid for in Europe. Now we have to focus on the league, ” he said. “We’ve tried. We don’t see it as a failure. We’ve tried and we’ve tried. I see it as a very big disappointment and the main goal is to get into the Champions League.”
Eintract Frankfurt were helped by the sight of 20,000 supporters at the Camp Nou. German fans had purchased tickets off Barcelona members which led to a huge away presence, as reported by Marca.
Xavi had called on supporters to make the Camp Nou a “pressure cooker” for the second leg and admitted he was surprised by events in the stands. He said, “We were expecting a stadium with 70,000 people and it looked like a final with a divided field. It was our miscalculation.”
Araujo Reacts To Barca Defeat
Barcelona center-back Ronald Araujo also spoke out after the defeat and admitted his teams were guilty of some poor mistakes. The Uruguayuan was also surprised to see so many Eintracht Frankfurt fans in the Camp Nou.
“It’s a shame to lose this game. Despite the result, we played a good game. They hit at the right time. They came three times and scored three goals. There are mistakes that can’t be made and that’s why we didn’t qualify. We had to have more patience and have vigilance on counterattacks. We should have adjusted that detail more. It’s a shame because we wanted to get through,” he said. “It surprises me that there are a lot of their people here in our stadium. The club has to look at that. For the height of this team, the quality it has, it can be said that it is a failure, because we wanted to win the Europa League. We have to raise our chins.”
Barcelona’s defeat means the club will now turn their full attention to finishing in the top four in La Liga and securing a place in next season’s Champions League. The Catalans are currently second with eight games left to play.
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