Xavi may have just scored an own goal for Barcelona ahead of Manchester United clash
Manchester United are highly motivated to defeat Barcelona in the Europa League play-off second leg and re-establish themselves as a strong team.
They have been showing promising signs of improvement and defeating a top European team like Barcelona would be a significant achievement for them.
Moreover, United have a history of struggling against La Liga teams in knockout games, and they are eager to settle the score with Barcelona and other Spanish teams.
Barcelona may have made a mistake by giving Manchester United even more motivation, possibly unintentionally, with Xavi’s comments in his pre-match press conference.
Xavi referred to Bruno Fernandes disrespectfully as ‘the Portuguese guy’ during the press conference, which could be seen as a sign of disrespect towards both the player and the team.
Xavi was giving United a compliment by actually praising the commendable job done by Erik ten Hag.
He was quoted by The Times: “Tactically he is very good and he handles the dressing room very well. He is getting all the talent out of his players.
“You see [Jadon] Sancho, [Marcus] Rashford, the Portuguese guy [Bruno Fernandes]. And look how Fred is playing…”
It is unclear what motivated Xavi’s comments. It is possible that he simply had a lapse in memory and forgot Bruno Fernandes’ name, or it could have been a playful jab at the historical relations between Spain and Portugal. Regardless of the reason, Bruno Fernandes can use it as motivation to fuel his own drive and determination.
It is anticipated that Fernandes will lead United as the captain and display a combination of determination and technical prowess during the match. It would not be unexpected to witness him scoring a winning goal similar to that of Paul Scholes.
If United were to secure a victory with a goal from Fernandes, it is likely that both he and the club would celebrate it enthusiastically.
They may even refer to him as “the Portuguese guy” on social media in a playful response to Xavi’s comments.
If Fernandes delivers a remarkable performance, it could become synonymous with Xavi’s comments, and United may even create a T-shirt with the nickname “the Portuguese guy” to sell.
Xavi’s remarks have given Fernandes and his team an additional incentive to prove him wrong and demonstrate their abilities.
It is possible that Xavi’s words will come back to haunt him, and he will remember the name of Fernandes for a long time. Only time will tell, but Xavi may have unintentionally helped Fernandes by providing him with motivation to score the winning goal.
Xavi may have just scored an own goal for Barcelona ahead of Manchester United clash
