Barcelona coach Xavi admits they fell short of required standards in their Europa League defeat at Manchester United.
But he also wanted to make a positive reading with respect to last year, stating that, this season, they have been better in Europe.
“The equaliser hurt us. We lost a divided ball. The first half was very good. The tie was very even. It wasn’t to be,” Xavi explained in his post-match press conference.
“Another big disappointment for us. It’s a shame, we were looking forward to it.
“We competed well and gave our best.”
Xavi was quizzed on the intensity of Manchester United‘s play, and he suggested it made a difference.
“They are physically very strong. In the second goal, the duel was won by Shaw and after rebounds it fell to Antony,” he continued.
“The first goal hurt us a lot. The team deserved a bit more. If the equalizer didn’t come so quickly…”
Barcelona have improved in Europe
Whilst the sensations are ones of pain at this moment, Xavi was quick to point out the improvement his team has made in Europe throughout the 2022/23 season when compared to 2021/22.
“The feeling is that we have been better than last season,” he confirmed.
“Against Inter, United… we’ve played against big teams but we haven’t been as good as we should have been.
“The only positive point is that we have games on Sunday and we have to focus on the two competitions.”
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