Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez sought to keep a lid on expectations as they prepare to face Eintracht Frankfurt in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final tie on Thursday, with the Catalan club clear favourites to win the trophy.
“It’s very dangerous to relax and get complacent,” Xavi told reporters at Deutsche Bank Park on Wednesday.
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“Relaxing is unacceptable, can’t happen. In today’s soccer everyone knows everything about their opponents, opponents are always prepared. The values, the intensity, the desire to win. We need all of that to succeed. The opponent can run over you if you relax.”
Xavi was careful what he said about Thursday’s opponents, who are currently ninth in the German Bundesliga and reached the Europa League quarter-finals after eliminating Real Betis 3-2 on aggregate.
“Eintracht may be unknown in Spain, but they are a great team, I would highlight their transitions, they are very dangerous when they can run,” Xavi said.
“They are a tough, complicated opponent. People take it for granted that we will be in the semi-finals and it’s far from it.
“They eliminated Betis being better in many phases of the game. Gave a hard time to Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. It’s a shame that they are not well known in Spain and that people underestimate them. For them it is an historic game and we have to match that motivation that they have.”
Forward Ferran Torres agreed with his coach and said that the team were focused on the task at hand.
“I see the entire locker room very motivated,” Torres told a news conference.
“It’s a very important game for us. It’s the first time Barca play here at this stadium and against Eintracht Frankfurt and there’s a lot of enthusiasm in the group. They are a very physical opponent that will do everything to stop us, but we want to win.”
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