Barcelona ran out 2-0 winners against Osasuna on Thursday evening to set a date with Real Madrid in the Spanish Supercup final on Sunday night. Xavi Hernandez admitted after the match that their performance was not great but good – his particular praise went towards the substitutes.
Lamine Yamal, Joao Felix and Pedri all had a positive impact on the game when they came on, with the former two combining for their second goal. Felix went on a brilliant run to open up the defence, and Sporting Director Deco was delighted with him after the match.
“The first half was very even. We all know that Osasuna is a team that competes very well. In the second half, with the entry of Pedri and Joao Felix, the team had more ability to unbalance the defence and talent,” Deco told Sport.
De Jong: "Pedri is a player with extraordinary talent, he makes a difference, the game is more fluid when he is on the pitch. We are very happy to have him back."
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) January 11, 2024
Felix has come under severe pressure of late, as his performances have been declining in quality and frequency. That said, against Osasuna he looked sharp and hungry. Amid speculation that Barcelona have halted talks over Felix for next season, Xavi has also left him on the bench for three of the last four matches.
Deco has been one of his biggest backers. President Joan Laporta, agent Jorge Mendes and Deco have been angling for Felix’s signing, whereas Xavi seems more reticent, and it would be no surprise if Deco was hinting that he feels Felix should be in the starting XI ahead of Ferran Torres. He did admit that it wasn’t his decision to make though.
“Xavi is the one who decides. We have many quality players in those positions and it is logical that he wants to count on all of them.”
Ahead of Sunday, Deco painted a more positive picture than many Barcelona fans are seeing.
“The first thing to remember is that Barca is the current champion. Madrid was spectacular and they look good, but we also reach the final in good shape.”
