Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez believes that Lamine Yamal and a number of the Catalan club’s players played a major role in concealing the danger of Kylian Mbappe in last Wednesday’s match.
Barca returned with an important victory from the Parc des Princes Stadium against Paris Saint-Germain, with a score of 3-2, in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals.
During the match, Mbappe failed to shoot any ball against goalkeeper Ter Stegen, and he was subjected to severe criticism for his level, while the level of the full-back that Jules Kounde faced was praised.
At the press conference for the Barcelona and Cadiz match, Xavi was asked about Koundé’s role, and he replied, “I am very happy with him. I was the one who asked to sign him, and I still believe that he is one of the best defenders in the world.”
He also added, “Conde was not the only one who stopped Mbappe. It was a collective mission. Araujo, Yamal, and Sergi Roberto played an important role in that. They supported Conde greatly.”
During his speech, Xavi also stressed that he would not change his previous decision to leave Barcelona at the end of the current season, regardless of the results in the coming period.
