Xavi Hernandez happy with Barcelona's victory in Copa Del Rey over Unionistas

Barcelona rebounded from their recent Spanish Super Cup loss against Real Madrid with a 3-1 victory over Unionistas, securing their place in the Copa Del Rey quarter-finals.

The Catalans goals were scored by Ferran Torres, Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde.

The win, coupled with Real Madrid's unexpected 4-2 exit at the hands of Atletico Madrid, has swiftly catapulted Barcelona into the role of favourites in the competition.

Coach Xavi Hernandez, elated with his team's performance, expressed his satisfaction after the game at Estadio Municipal Reina Sofia. The triumph was particularly sweet for Barcelona, coming on the heels of a humbling 4-1 defeat to Real Madrid last Sunday. Xavi shared his contentment, stating, "I leave with a very good feeling, that we have improved in the game. Even when we were losing the match, I had the feeling that we dominated it. And the second half is very good. We took a step forward. We played well."

Acknowledging Unionistas' resilience and tactical acumen, Xavi commended the third division team, saying, "Congratulations to Unionistas, they didn't seem like a third division team. We had a very strong rival ahead of us. They work very well with their manager Dani. It's not easy to attack a deep block."

Despite Barcelona's victory, Xavi didn't shy away from pointing out the challenges they faced. He highlighted issues with tackling, stating, "We make mistakes again. Errors in concentration, lack of aggressiveness. In today's case, it is a ball that we lost in midfield due to lack of aggressiveness."

Xavi emphasized the need to adapt to a defensive strategy, stating, "In matches like this, when the rival defends so deep, we have to shoot from outside the goal."

Addressing Barcelona's inconsistency, Xavi admitted, "Sometimes we play very well and sometimes we have to play much better. Sometimes I get disappointed because we don't do what we have to do, what is expected. We know that we have to win and play well. This is Barça."

Explaining his tactical decisions, Xavi clarified Vitor Roque's absence from the starting line-up, saying, "Vitor Roque had some discomfort, that's why he had a few minutes. He will play more later on." Regarding the substitution of Joao Felix, Xavi noted, "I took off Joao Felix to put in Pedri and Gundogan, two pure midfielders. We wanted them to play passes in behind through the middle."

As Barcelona advance to the quarter-final stage of the Copa Del Rey, there's a palpable sense that they are among the few teams in Spain still in contention for a historic treble this season.

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