Xavi: 'Real is still superior to Barca'

"Winning 1-0 brings only a very small change," Xavi said after the semi-final first leg on the evening of March 2. "We won, but I think Real are very strong physically and overwhelm us in terms of possession. They are still the top team."

In the pre-match press conference, Xavi once caught the eye when he mentioned Real five times to the upper door compared to Barca.

Yesterday's match did not go as expected of Real. They shot six times, but not once on target - something that hasn't happened in El Clasico in at least the last 15 years since these statistics began. The defending La Liga and Champions League champions also failed to take advantage of the 65% ball control advantage. Meanwhile, Barca only had two shots and one on goal, but took the lead from the 26th minute. Real defender Eder Militao owns an own goal after accidentally touching the ball from Franck Kessie's shot to knock Thibaut keeper. Courtois.

"We have minimized Real's ability," Xavi analyzed. "They didn't have a chance. However, we couldn't control the ball. It made it difficult for the players above. I'm happy with the result, but not happy with the game. We still have to. improve".

This is Barca's first win at the Bernabeu this season. Before that, in the match in phase one of La Liga here, Xavi's teachers and students lost to Real 1-3. They won again 3-1 when playing the final of the Spanish Super Cup on a neutral field.

This season, Barca also lost two matches to Bayern, drew and lost to Inter in the Champions League group stage, and then drew and lost to Man Utd in the Europa League play-off round. Therefore, Xavi is satisfied when his team overcomes the great challenge of Real. "This was a test where we didn't suffer against a high-class opponent," added Xavi. "For a while we've had to prove that we know how to play tough games and win."

Personally, Xavi is also pleased with the defenders. He gave special praise to Ronald Araujo, the player who disabled Vinicius.

The two teams will play the second leg on April 5, at Camp Nou. From now until the short break at the end of March, Barca still has three La Liga matches against Valencia on March 5, Bilbao on March 12, and Real on March 19. Xavi's teachers and students need to play well to preserve the lead and seven points above Real. "We have to move on," Xavi insisted. "The Valencia game is ahead. It's important to get nine points in the three games before the break."

La Liga and the King's Cup are two arenas where Barca still has the opportunity to compete for the title this season. If successful, Xavi will have three titles in his first full season in charge of Barca. Previously, the Camp Nou team was only ranked third after Bayern and Inter in the Champions League group stage. They also soon had to say goodbye to the Europa League when they lost 3-4 to Man Utd in the play-off round.