Barcelona manager Xavi criticised his players for their inability to exploit Las Palmas' high line – like he used to do in his playing days.
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Barcelona struggled to crack opponents' defensive setupXavi admitted he could have done betterBlaugrana snatched 2-1 win thanks to late penalty WHAT HAPPENED?
Barca struggled to create opportunities against Las Palmas' high line on Thursday evening, being caught offside 14 times, and putting just five shots on target across the 90 minutes. The manager, a decent midfielder during his playing days, claimed that he would have been more effective than his players.
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In a post-match press conference, the manager expressed his frustration with his team's inability to find a killer pass, and conceded that he might have been better used than some of his players: "We erred with the pass in behind in the first half. They had a high line and we could not find the space behind, which was something we had worked on specifically all week. That’s what I was good at as a player!"
@GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Despite Xavi's complaints, Barca managed to snag three points. A late Ilkay Gundogan penalty gave the Blaugrana the win, bringing them within seven points of first-placed Real Madrid in the La Liga title race.
(C)Getty imagesWHAT NEXT FOR BARCELONA?
The Blaugrana's next fixture is a Copa del Rey clash with Spanish minnows Barbastro. They will look to go a step further in the cup after crashing out to Madrid in last year's semi final.