Xavi reacts when Barca only had 36% possession in Real Madrid's win
Barcelona beat Real Madrid 1-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu but had to apply very tight defensive play to get results. The Catalan team only held the ball 36% and only launched a total of 4 shots.
After the game, Xavi was asked if he was satisfied with his team's play.
"I'm happy with the result, but not happy with the way we played. We can't let the opponent take the ball away from us. We couldn't keep the ball. It was very difficult for us to win the ball, but we defended very well," said the coach.
"The plan was not to defend. The plan was to control the ball long and win the duels, but we didn't do it right. I emphasize that Madrid are very strong. You can't always dominate the big teams. They made us play that way, that was not our plan.
"We don't betray our style. The opponent forces us to play that way. You try to get the ball from Luka Modric and Toni Kroos... Sometimes you have to be defensive."
On the plus side, Barca didn't allow Madrid to create any great scoring opportunities as they ended the game without a shot on target.
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Real Madrid lost at home with just one own goal and will play the decisive match at Camp Nou on April 5.
Real Madrid lost to Barcelona in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final at the Santiago Bernabeu. An own goal from Militão decided the game, in which Ancelotti's side played much better but were unable to convert their dominance into a goal. The whites controlled the game at a high tempo and that paid off after ten minutes with Benzema's goal, but the goal was disallowed for offside.
Barcelona were barely in our box but they took the lead after 26 minutes in a move that Ancelotti's men were unlucky with. Courtois played better than Kessié one-on-one, but the counter-attack hit Militão's feet and went straight into the home team's goal. Real Madrid had a great chance to equalize before the break. A spectacular long pass from Kroos in the 41st minute caused Carvajal's volley from inside the box to go over the crossbar.
The second half started with an immediate opportunity for our team as Valverde sent the ball over the box 49 minutes into the clock, only to let Araújo land on Vini Jr.'s effort. and take the corner kick. Barcelona defended very deep and Real Madrid created another dangerous opportunity in the 58th minute with a dangerous cross from Vini Jr. forcing Ter Stegen to step in. The whole team pressed the players until the last minute, resisting the opposition and constantly looking for openings, but the goal did not come. The last chance of the night came to Rodrygo after 90 minutes, when he launched a cut from the edge of the box that went a few inches off the post. The semi-finals will take place at Camp Nou on April 5.
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