Xavi Hernández says Arsenal game was 'good test'

It may sound like a cliché but in preseason the result is not the most important thing. Barça coach Xavi Hernández was happy to take the positives from the first game of the summer for his team, a 5-3 defeat against Arsenal. "It was a good game to watch but not so much for the coaches," said the blaugrana boss in his post-game press conference. 

For the Catalan the team "did well" despite the defeat. "I have seen a lot of positives and most of the players have had some playing time. I also got to try some players in positions which are not their natural ones; Dembélé in the middle, Frenkie in the centre of midfield and Ferran as a striker. It was a good test and result," explained the coach. 

 
Xavi admitted to being a little surprised by Arsenal's intensity. "I said to Arteta [Arsenal coach] that it was like a Champions League game. It was a little unusual the intensity they put into the game. We took it seriously but they played at a different tempo and deserved the win. We were a little soft in defence." The Premier League side were playing their fourth game of preseason whilst for Barça it was the preseason opener. 

Three names

The Barça coach highlighted the contribution of Alejandro Balde: "All the player did well but Balde was exceptional." The coach also explained that Lenglet missed out due to a knock and Gavi did not appear due to a back problem.