Barcelona midfielder Xavi Hernandez sets sights on winning the La Liga and UEFA Champions League
Barcelona midfielder, Xavi Hernandez, has claimed that Copa del Rey was lowest on their priority list of winning trophies in the ongoing 2010/11 campaign.
Barcelona’s dreams of winning the treble were shattered as Cristiano Ronaldo’s extra-time winner helped Real Madrid edge past the Catalan giants and win the first Copa del Rey for Los Blancos since 1993.
Xavi has congratulated Madrid for the victory but believes that his team has set sights on frying the bigger fish and would prefer winning the La Liga and UEFA Champions League.
The midfielder believes that Barcelona were better of the two sides in the allotted 90 minutes, but Ronaldo’s extra-time winner sealed the match for Los Blancos.
Talking to the reporters, Xavi said: ''We were true to ourselves but they caught us on the counterattack and took the Cup. We congratulate them and we'll try to compete in what remains. In the dressing room we have told everyone that we must continue and
that we have competed very well.''
''The first-half was even and in the second-half we had them from there. We just didn't score. What we expect [tactically from Real Madrid] is more of the same. Madrid press us, slow us down and mark us individually.'' Said the Spanish World Cup winner
The 31-year-old has warned Madrid not to celebrate too early as his team would avenge the defeat by winning the remaining two trophies that are still up for grabes. Pep Guardiola’s side are atop the La Liga table with an 8-point lead over Madrid, and with
only six matches left to play, they are almost certain to win the league.
The two teams will also meet in the two-legged UEFA Champions League semi-final, and Xavi has warned Los Blancos that his team will come hard after the Copa del Rey defeat.
Madrid and Barca have already met thrice in the current season so far, with Barcelona thrashing Madrid 5-0 in the first of the league encounters at the Camp Nou, while the return fixture ended in a 1-1 draw at Santiago Bernabeu recently.
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