Xavi: Happy to win and go top of the league

Al-Sadd head coach Xavi Hernandez addressed the media and shared his views after his side beat Al-Sailiya 3-1 in the postponed QNB Stars League Round 3 game, which was played at Al-Janoub Stadium on Tuesday.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Xavi said: “I am happy to win the game and go top of the league. We did not perform at our best in the first half and it was our lowest level this season. In the second half, we made some changes to our gameplay and it helped us score the goals.”

“We lost focus in the last few minutes and this should not happen in the future, or else we will concede goals. We must retain our concentration until the final whistle.”

As for Abdelkarim Hassan’s absence, Xavi said: “Abdelkarim is suffering from an illness. He is undergoing treatment under the supervision of the doctor. We missed him a lot today and I hope he will be with us in the next game.”

Asked about the upcoming clash with Al-Hilal in the AFC Champions League, the coach said: “The game against Al-Hilal is one of the most important games for us this season. We are preparing for it from tomorrow onwards. I want to reiterate my gratitude to the federation for postponing the game against Al-Arabi. Our goal is to reach the final. We will do all we can to achieve that.”