As Real Madrid thrashed Clasico rivals Barcelona 4-0 at Camp Nou to suffer a 4-1 Copa del Rey semi-final aggregate loss, Xavi expressed disappointment in Barcelona’s inability to create “moments.”
Barca entered Wednesday’s return game at home with a one-goal edge thanks to an own goal by Eder Militao in the first leg at the Bernabeu.
Thibaut Courtois made a spectacular save to deny Robert Lewandowski before a wide-ranging counterattack resulted in Vinicius Junior tying the game. But, Barca’s dominating first half came to an end with a brief spell of play that would prove pivotal.
Madrid then sealed their progression with a brilliant second half, as Karim Benzema’s hat-trick put the 31-time winners out and set Carlo Ancelotti’s men up to meet Osasuna in the final on May 6.
Xavi was left frustrated by his team’s failure to match their first-half display, telling Movistar+: “It is a difficult night to digest. This is football.
“You have to compete better. We have competed well until 1-0. They are moments that we have to stop. We could have also stopped the 2-0 moment. In short, they are details that we have to control.
“In the first half we were very good, but that’s what I said: football is about moments and we didn’t take advantage of them.
“When football is so even, you have to take advantage of the moments. We didn’t do it in the first half and they did in the second. They have been superior, no excuses.”
4 – Real Madrid have scored at least four goals against Barcelona in any competition for the first time since May 2008 (4-1 in LaLiga), and had not done so at Camp Nou since January 1963 (1-5 in LaLiga).
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) April 5, 2023
Punch. pic.twitter.com/kglbDk021L
Xavi credited Madrid for their excellent second-leg display, saying: “I already said yesterday that Madrid were favourites.
“We cannot argue that they are a great team. They are the LaLiga and Champions League champions and they do not forgive.
“When you don’t kill Madrid, they kill you.”
Despite the elimination, Xavi’s men hold a 12-point lead over Madrid at the top of LaLiga, and he is hoping his team can put this setback behind them to kick on and claim the title.
“We had a very bad second half, but we have to get up,” he said. “Tomorrow we will get up with all the hope to beat Girona.
“It is a tough result, but we have to focus on the league.”