Counting on best player in world is critical says Xavi Hernandez

Hours ahead of the first leg of the Champions League semi final against Bayern Munich, Xavi Hernandez spoke at a press conference yesterday about the presence of Leo Messi on the pitch, and remarked that “having the best player in the world is critical,” adding that the Argentine “makes the difference in every game and that he is eager to participate.” “We will surely see the best Messi against Bayern,” he added.

Speaking about the tie, Xavi Hernandez said: “we won’t play the victim” without forgetting that “we respect all opinions but we don’t share them, we have got to six semifinals and we are exactly where we wanted to be at the start of the season.”

For the talented midfielder, that Barcelona imposes their style of play will be a key factor in reaching the final. “We will try to impose our style. The game will be all about possession and we’ll put our imprint on it. Having the ball as much as possible is what makes us feel good. We’ll attempt to stamp our mark on the game.”

Speaking about Barcelona’s apparent difficulty, except against Paris Saint-Germain, in scoring goals away from home, Xavi stressed the importance of scoring at the Allianz Arena. “We have seen that it is important to score away from home. It’s quite clear. We have to go on the attack as Barcelona did in the match against AC Milan. This is our yardstick. and it’s vital to advance to the final.” he said.

Bayern Munich’s form

As to the opponent, Xavi acknowledged that he understands the euphoric state that the German outfit is experiencing after completing a near perfect season. “I understand the euphoric state of Bayern. They are the most in-form team in Europe, but it motivates us to play a team like that,” added Xavi

Xavi Hernandez doesn’t believe he can highlight just a single virtue of Bayern, as they are the complete team. He finalized by saying: “Bayern are a very complete team. They lose few balls, have talent, are physically strong, their form … it’s worrying. We have much respect for Bayern and tie will be complicated.”

Barca training in Munich