Xavi Hernandez believes his Barcelona side lack key ingredients following their defeat to Real Madrid.
Barca put on an improved display on Wednesday night but ultimately fell short despite levelling twice thanks to Luuk de Jong and Ansu Fati.
Real Madrid may have blown two leads, but they still kept their cool in extra time, winning 3-2 thanks to a Federico Valverde winner.
And that’s the difference between Los Blancos and Xavi’s young Barca stars, according to the Blaugrana boss himself.
Xavi believes it’s a question of experience and a few other things, but they are ingredients that should come in time given the youth of the current Barca side.
“They are contradictory feelings because we could touch the victory,” Xavi said in his post-match press conference.
“We have dominated Madrid for a long spell, but we lack experience, patience and responsibility.
“We are close. We missed the turning point. It’s why we lost 3-2.
“We have dominated Madrid, they have dropped back. It’s a shame.
“We go with rage and sadness. This is the path, I believe. We could have won.
“We have played with diversity, but from the 25th minute. We have taken risks, but they have taken advantage of our errors.”
Barca have had a long and difficult season so far, but this defeat will serve as a signal of hope.
The Blaugrana have a young team who need defeats like this one as they look to grow and become what Xavi wants them to.
It will be interesting to see how Barca respond and whether they can build on their performance in Riyadh.
