Xavi forgot Bruno Fernandes' name
* Man Utd - Barca: 3 am on Friday 24/2, Hanoi time.
In an exclusive interview with The Times on March 22, Xavi praised Erik ten Hag for changing the face of Man Utd from the beginning of the season. "Ten Hag is very good, I like him very much," the Spain coach commented on his colleague. "Ten Hag has built a strong team and brought out the best in every player. He is also very good at tactics and manages the dressing room very well. That speaks to the level of Ten Hag."
Then, Xavi pointed out four dangerous players on the Man Utd side, but seemed to forget the name of Fernandes. "Ten Hag is exploiting all the talent from the players. Look how Jadon Sancho, Marcus Marcus, Fred and the Portuguese players are playing," added the 43-year-old coach.
Last season, Fernandes fell when he scored only 10 goals in 46 matches in all competitions. But the Portuguese midfielder found form under Ten Hag, scoring seven and assisting nine goals in 36 games since the start of the season. Fernandes also often wears the Man Utd captain's armband when Harry Maguire loses his starting position.
Emphasizing Barca will play offensive in the second leg of the Europa League play-off round at Old Trafford, but Xavi admits the club must put on a great performance if it is to progress. In the first leg at Camp Nou, Marcos Alonso opened the scoring and Raphinha tied the score 2-2. With the away goals rule no longer in place, the two teams will enter a penalty shootout if they continue to draw in their rematch in Manchester today.
"We have anticipated difficulties since the draw results," Xavi added. "It's like a big battle in the Champions League. But we make many mistakes, are in the process of building and clashing in the Europa League. For the players, this is one of the matches that everyone wants to experience. at least once in a lifetime".
Xavi considers his old teacher Pep Guardiola an inspiration in his coaching career, and is the coach with the most positive influence on the Premier League. Guardiola has led Barca since 2008 and won three La Liga titles and two Champions Leagues in just four years. He made the "tiki taka" fast passing style famous, with Xavi as the conductor.
"I think foreign coaches have had a positive influence on the Premier League," added Xavi. "They contributed important things, new concepts. The first one was probably Arsene Wenger. Roberto Martinez also proposed new things, but Guardiola is the best coach. I play under him and the difference is different. The difference between Guardiola and all the other coaches, including me, is a huge gap. Guardiola is a genius."
