Xavi: Happy with the win, we will strive to reach the semifinal

Al-Sadd head coach Xavi Hernandez spoke of his happiness after his side grabbed an important 3-1 win over Hienghene Sport in their opening FIFA Club World Cup Qatar 2019 game, which took them through to the second round and a clash with Mexican side Monterrey.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Xavi said: “We wasted a number of easy chances; we were not able to score. In extra time, we managed to score and we lucky that we did not go to penalties. I am happy to progress to the next round of the tournament.”

He added: “We have dreams and goals in the upcoming game. We are 90 minutes away from the semifinal and we will strive to achieve our goal in the next game against Monterrey.”

Xavi also said: “I know Monterrey, they have played very well after the change of coach. They are a quick side with many players in attack and are also good from set pieces. They are a very good side. If we play like we did today, things will be tough for us but if it’s our day, we can perform well.”

Xavi pointed out that Al-Sadd had played four halves and that the issue wasn’t one of physical fitness. “The problem was psychological after we missed a number of chances and lost confidence. This is natural in football. I am happy with the number of chances we created and this is something we need to build on in the next game. We must have wasted over 30 chances. We now need to work on competing hard in the next game.”