Barcelona ends the 2022 with a dramatic draw in the Barcelona Derby with local rivals, Espanyol. Here is the Press Conference report and what Barcelona Manager Xavi and Espanyol Manager Diego Martinez said after the game.
Unfortunately, the game ended with a yet again staggering 14 yellow cards and two red cards from Mateu Lahoz, repeating his impulsiveness back from the World Cup Quaterfinal in Qatar. Barcelona seemed to have the perfect start with the 7th minute goal from Marcos Alonso, but with the turn of events had to settle for one point.
Despite still being the leaders of the league table, Barcelona is in tie with their ultimate rivals, Real Madrid, in the race for the title with 38 points each after 15 games.
Click here for the Full Match Report
What Xavi said?
Xavi wasn’t the happiest man of the evening, knowing that they should’ve steered away on top in the League table with 3 points on the night.
“It was important to finish the year with a positive result, it’s true that we are still leaders in the league, alongside Real Madrid, but we lost two points because of us.”
🎙️ Xavi analyzes Barça’s 1-1 derby draw with Espanyol #BarçaEspanyol pic.twitter.com/1ef6NcX0Ih
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) December 31, 2022
However, the Barcelona Manager Xavi, had his saying on the on-field decisions tonight at Barcelona Derby.
“Today, Lahoz lost the control of the game. The game got out of control.”
The man has a streak of 32 yellow cards in his last two matches, which obviously seems outrageous. Decisions by the referee seemed alien even to the Barcelona head coach.
“You ask me about the referee and I can’t control him, he should come out and talk about his decisions.”
However, Xavi made sure not to complain. He took full responsibility saying that the mistakes are ours, and believes that this was a must win game for the team. There is no excuse for Espanyol vs Barcelona Derby.
What Espanyol Manager had to say?
Diego Martinez (Espanyol Manager) had his saying of the game too. He shared his thoughts about letting Lewandowski play at the Espanyol vs Barcelona Derby.
“The decision to let Lewandowski play was strange and surprised everyone, but we competed against all odds and against an opponent with a lot of potential.”
“I’m very proud of my players. They have competed showing the DNA of the club, the strength of a feeling, knowing how to suffer, and controlling emotions”, says the happier of the two managers of the evening.
Credits: Barca Universal Twitter
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