Xavi’s side were clearly the second best team on the night but managed to secure a draw after Ferran Torres canceled out Ansgar Knauff’s opener.
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Barcelona boss Xavi says “we’re satisfied with the result” after the 1-1 draw away from home against Eintracht Frankfurt in their first leg tie of the Europa League quarter-final on Thursday. Xavi’s side were clearly the second best team on the night but managed to secure a draw after Ferran Torres canceled out Ansgar Knauff’s opener. Both sides will head into the second leg at Camp Nou next Thursday all square but it has to be said that the Spanish side has a slight advantage.
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Frankfurt produced an energetic performance at home to push Barca into the back foot and for all their good work they deservedly took the lead early in the second half. Midfielder Knauff’s superb long-range strike on 48 minutes, went past Andre Ter Stegen and into the top corner.
On the hour mark, Xavi introduced Frenkie de Jong and Ousmane Dembele and the substitutes quickle combined to make the difference as Barca equalised on 66 minutes. Dembele gave the ball to De Jong on the edge of the box and the Dutchman played a nice little one-two with Torres before giving the ball back to the Spaniard to slot home from 10 yards.
It was a brilliantly worked team goal and the Frankfurt defence, which did a solid job up until that point, had no answer to Barca’s quick one-touch football.
“The goal is a great goal, pure talent of the players,” Xavi told reporters.
The German club played very good counter-attacking football, and Barca struggled to cope with their quick transition from defence to attack. Meanwhile, substitution of central defender Gerard Pique because of injury early in the match, added to Barca’s problems.
“It was a very difficult and physical opponent. We didn’t know how to stop their transitions and we were thicker than normal and the pitch wasn’t in the best conditions. We generated fewer chances than normal but we’re satisfied with the result. Normally, the one who proposes generates more but today it was the other way around.
“This is Europe, everything is complicated. It will be complicated at the Camp Nou but we play in front of our fans.”
Captain Sergio Busquets added: “They have played their weapons, but we have also arrived, we have had control. The pitch was not good and it was difficult for us to play. We had some difficulties but we were talking to try to find some superiority.
“The goal was a great play. We can’t do anything but win now. Barcelona always has to being a candidate for everything, we’re doing things well, there’s a lot to improve but with the track record we have… but it won’t be easy.”
