"Without performing excellently, we took three golden points"

This Barcelona is a team faithful to the style of play that Xavi Hernandez likes, but, against Atletico Madrid, they did not win with their best form. This was acknowledged by the coach in his post-match appearance before the DAZN microphones. He was full of praise, however, for his players' ability to suffer when they are behind in terms of feeling and play. They ended up winning.

"The four midfielders? I was convinced by the first half hour, which I think we dominated a lot. The goal came from the numerical superiority inside that Pedri took advantage of. Three golden points. We made the most of our chances. They pressed and we knew how to suffer. And how important it is to keep a clean sheet. Just like the day against Espanyol, I said we deserved more; this time, maybe without playing so well, we took three points," he said.

"It's a victory, but it's not just three points, it gives us morale and tremendous confidence for the rest of the league. We're capable of winning on a pitch as difficult as this one, suffering, being a family... Without playing excellently like we did against Espanyol, we knew how to suffer and we took three golden point", he added.

"I thought it would give us more possession, more control, more precision in the game (the four midfielders). We started well, but then Atletico pushed hard. It's also important to win without Lewandowski, who is a key player for us," he said.