Barcelona’s Xavi Hernandez acknowledged that the “intensity and tactical fouls” displayed by Arsenal during their victory over the La Liga champions in Los Angeles caught him off guard.
During their tour of the United States, the two European powerhouses faced off in a preseason match, with the Premier League club defeating rivals Spain 5-3.
Barcelona took a two-goal lead owing to strikes from Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha, but Mikel Arteta’s team eventually overtook them thanks to Bukayo Saka and debutant Kai Havertz. After that, Leandro Trussard scored twice to give Arsenal the lead, and even Ferran Torres’ third goal couldn’t save the Spanish powerhouses since Fabio Vieira ended the contest.
“It’s not normal for a friendly match, but I understand that everyone wants to win,” he said. “With the intensity they put in, when it was over it felt like a Champions League draw. Being our first friendly, we went there with a lot of inexperienced guys.
The 43-year-old was then questioned over his reaction to Arteta’s strategy.
“No, not ours; yes, Arsenal’s Making tactical errors while playing with such intensity is unusual, he added. “Everyone aspired to victory. They played at various intensities. Despite our seriousness, the game’s different tempo and sharpness was the primary factor in our defeat.
Last weekend’s friendly match between Barcelona and Juventus was cancelled after 14 players experienced stomach problems.
Despite the opposing parties’ various strategies,
Xavi is still vocal about his respect for Arteta and their friendship.
He said, our careers were comparable. We played together when we were both young and attended Barça. I respect him greatly and wish him the best. “Arsenal earned the victory. The primary differences are in speed and fitness. Although we kept the ball well, our defence was weak.
