Xavi: 'Ten Hag changed the face of Man Utd'
* Barca - Man Utd: 0h45 Friday, February 17, Hanoi time.
"Ten Hag is a great coach. It is not easy to turn the situation of Man Utd, but he is succeeding," Xavi said before the first leg at Camp Nou today. "Ten Hag is an interesting coach and a difficult opponent to play. He changed everything, with a three-man attack, a high midfield. Ten Hag pursues an attacking style and is a role model for coaches who like things. this football".
Man Utd is the only team in Europe that still competes in all four arenas. The "Red Devils" lost only one of the last 17 matches in all competitions, rising to third in the Premier League, reaching the final of the League Cup, the fifth round of the FA Cup and meeting Barca in the Europa League play-off round.
"Ten Hag had a difficult start, but changed the face of Man Utd," Xavi continued about the opponent. "Man Utd are a strong club with a very solid defence. I expect the clash to have intensity, rhythm. Like other Premier League clubs, they are very strong physically. And Barca wants to show that they are at a competitive level in Europe".
According to the Spanish coach, if there are no surprises at Camp Nou today, the confrontation between the two teams "will only be decided in the second leg" at Old Trafford on February 23. He also denied that Barca was a candidate to win the Europa League. "This is a very tough tournament and it's very difficult to win," Xavi emphasized.
When asked about the pressure before the Man Utd match, Xavi replied: "You asked me about it before the Spanish Super Cup final and will do it again in the Copa del Rey. This is Barca. We are. "We have to deal with pressure with enthusiasm, motivation, desire, determination and excitement. We don't feel pressure, that's normal at Barca."
Two play-offs saw two of Europe's biggest clubs compete for a spot in the Europa League round of 16. Xavi admitted this confrontation is far from the glory days in the Champions League, but emphasized: "Man Utd and Barca do not deserve to be in the Champions League, but the level in the next two matches is still very high."
Xavi also confirmed that Frenkie de Jong is happy and focused on dedicating to Barca, after being rumored to join Man Utd in the summer of 2022. He also refused to comment on the information that Cadena SER posted on the afternoon of February 15, that Barca transferred a total of 1.5 million USD to the vice president of the Spanish arbitral tribunal for the period 2016-2018.
