“I might get suspended if I talk about it” — Xavi reveals why winning the league would be ‘very hard’ for Barcelona

Barcelona boss Xavi has his say on Real Madrid's 'controversial' win against Almeria.


“I might get suspended if I talk about it” — Xavi reveals why winning the league would be ‘very hard’ for Barcelona

Xavi Hernandez did not remain silent after VAR let Vinicius Jr.'s 'handball' stand. (Via X/@ESPNFC & TheEuropeanLad)

FC Barcelona boss Xavi Hernandez‘s side came through with an emphatic 4-2 win against Real Betis on Sunday night. Before the game, Real Madrid earned a ‘controversial’ late win against UD Almeria. Following the game, Xavi had some harsh words regarding the Madrid game and threw shade on refereeing decisions that ‘helped’ Carlo Ancelotti‘s side see off their opponents.

Real Madrid’s 3-2 win against Almeria has become an issue of debate on social media. While VAR intervened to disallow an Almeria goal that would’ve seen them 3-1 up, it also dismissed a claim for handball against Vinicius Jr. The goal meant that Madrid equalized and also saw them score the winner in the 99th minute of the game! Xavi’s side, who are currently 3rd in La Liga, are 7 points behind Real Madrid.

YouTube video

In a post-match interview, he said,

FS Video
The Madrid game? If I talk about it, I'll get suspended. Everyone saw what happened. Since the Getafe game, I've understood that something is not right. It'll be very difficult to win the league.

Barcelona are the defending champions in La Liga, and retaining their title looks like a difficult task given the form rivals Madrid are in. Both clubs have gone back and forth in this regard, be it allegations regarding the Negreria case or Mateu Lahoz’s admission of certain decisions benefitting Real Madrid.

Barcelona DEMOLISH Real Betis as player ‘silences’ critics

FC Barcelona came through with a spectacular win against Real Betis on Sunday night. Xavi and Co. breathed confidence as they won 4-2 against Betis, who are currently ninth in the league. Barcà were at their absolute best in the build-up to the first goal, which saw Ferran Torres finish off a sublime team goal, assisted by Perdi. His second came from a volley just outside the area.

Ferran Torres bagged a hat-trick against Real Betis in his 100th game. (Via X/@brfootball)

However, former Real Madrid man Isco stepped up for the hosts, with two quickfire goals to draw his team to level. Barcelona let the game hang in the balance till the 90th minute before João Felix scored the crucial goal to give Barca the lead. The Portuguese winger celebrated emphatically with the classic ‘calma’ celebration. Torres then proceeded to grab his hat-trick on his 100th appearance for the club.

Lamine Yamal found Torres on the break in a late counter-attack, which ended in the #7 calmly chipping the keeper. Despite his hat-trick and Lamine Yamal’s sublime performance, La Liga awarded man-of-the-match to Real Betis midfielder Isco. This was also met with significant criticism from the away fans. With the win, Barcelona closed the gap between Real Madrid and league leaders Girona to 7 and 8 points respectively.

In case you missed it: