Jagoba Arrasate Anticipates Barcelona’s Reaction Amidst Xavi’s Departure Announcement

Jagoba Arrasate, the coach of Osasuna, remains cautious about the tumultuous situation at FC Barcelona, their opponent this Wednesday at the Estadi Olimpic de Montjuïc. “There will be a reaction after what has happened, and they will want to win. I expect the best from Barcelona,” stated the ‘rojillo’ coach after the evening training session, referring to the announcement by his Barcelona counterpart, Xavi Hernández, of leaving the Barcelona bench at the end of the season.

“We have to minimize them,” added Arrasate, who has the recent Supercopa semifinal in mind, where Barcelona secured a 2-0 victory. “The last match, until the goal, was evenly matched; everything comes down to being more precise,” he requested. “We need to play well and be accurate in those moments we may have, as the opponent has a lot of ease in scoring goals.” “We have played against them twice, and they have won both times,” he recalled. “Barcelona needs to be respected; they are the current LaLiga champions and have great players,” he warned.

Regarding Barcelona’s recent loss at home to Villarreal, Osasuna’s coach appreciated the comeback during the match by Xavi’s team, going from 0-2 down to winning 3-2, although they eventually lost 3-5. “Conclusions are drawn from everything, including how Barcelona came back in 10 minutes and how the opponent capitalized on mistakes. The other day, they came back, and with the score at 3-3, they lost because the draw was not enough for them, and they went all out,” he analyzed. But, watching the game, he highlighted the opponent’s value. “I believe more in their reaction; they will want to win,” he noted, although he acknowledged that playing in Montjuïc is different for Barcelona than at Camp Nou. “It is true that they are not playing at home, and they are noticing it,” he understood.

Jagoba Arrasate treaded carefully when asked about Xavi’s recent decision to leave Barcelona at the end of the season. “I lack information, and I can only be respectful. Let’s see what he tells me tomorrow. He has a league to compete for and a Champions League knockout tie,” he listed. While not delving too deep into Barcelona’s reality, he emphasized how comfortable he feels at El Sadar. “I don’t know how other benches are; all are heated, a reflection of society. I don’t feel that wear and tear, at least not here,” he said.

Nevertheless, he appreciated the team he will face in a few hours. “We have to respect them; they are the current LaLiga champions and have great players. We know it will be difficult,” he commented.

In his prescription for the Barcelona-Osasuna match, he advocated for “having a plan and believing in it.” “Then you need the opponent to be uncomfortable. We have to be more accurate in scoring. In the Supercopa, we were close, even though they had more possession. We have to defend well and be precise when we reach the top. Let’s hope the game is similar, but the result is different,” he wished.

Although his intention is to replicate ‘a Villarreal’ in Barcelona. “Of course, we want to win, and I don’t know if it’s the best scenario, but we will try. Let’s see if tomorrow is the day to win away after four months,” he said.

The Osasuna coach previewed that he will make “changes because we need freshness and spark” and expressed confidence in the accuracy of his starting striker, Budimir. “The goal is very typical of him; he is in a great moment,” he emphasized.