Xavi Hernandez has joined forward Ferran Torres in criticising Eintracht Frankfurt’s pitch.
Barcelona had to settle for a draw in Germany, with Ferran Torres scoring a second-half equaliser in their Champions League quarter final first leg.
It was a tricky night for Barca, who lost Gerard Pique to injury early on, and they will now need to produce a winning performance in the second leg at Camp Nou next week.
After the game, Blaugrana frontman Torres, the scorer on the night, complained about the pitch, claiming that the Deutsche Bank Stadium surface ‘wasn’t in good condition’.
And his head coach, Xavi, agreed with that sentiment.
“They have come out like demons on the counterattack,” he said of Frankfurt.
“The pitch was not in a good condition. Camp Nou has to be a pressure cooker next Thursday.”
While Xavi has taken a dig at the pitch, it is good to see him praising Frankfurt for their efforts.
Ultimately, while it’s clear a less than smooth pitch impacts Barca’s game, it’s not uncommon for teams to prepare a bumpy and dry surface for when the Catalan giants come to town.
Barca have to be prepared for those circumstances, and this is why we have two legged fixtures, so that teams also get the opportunity to play on their own pitch, which they can prepare to their liking.
They’re not in Champions league but europa league hahahha