Xavi talks Yamal, Fermin Lopez, Inigo, Raphinha after Mallorca 2-2 Barcelona

Following six wins in a row across all competitions, Barcelona saw that streak come to an end last night as they were held to a 2-2 draw by RCD Mallorca in La Liga.

The Blaugrana fell behind early in the game but struck back through Raphinha only to see their hosts take the lead again close to half-time.

But a late equaliser from substitute Fermin Lopez helped the La Liga champions salvage at least a point from the match at Estadi de Son Moix on Tuesday night.

Speaking after the match, manager Xavi Hernandez called for improvements from his team especially after the defensive mistakes they made during the contest.

“We let two points slip away, we made two serious mistakes. We knew we would have few chances, and we were unable to capitalize on them…,” he said.

“We have to criticize ourselves. We have to win this type of match. The second goal Mallorca scored was a childish mistake by our team,” he added.

Talking about the La Liga title race, Xavi said: “We are still the leaders, but have to see what Real Madrid and Girona do.”

Digging deeper into the game, the Barcelona manager remarked what went wrong for his team, saying: “We are at fault for the first goal, we got back into the match, but when we were superior, they score the second…”

“It’s our fault, we missed many chances when the scoreboard was 1-1. I remember that Joao had one, Raphinha too… And then they scored the 1-2.”

“I think we outplayed Mallorca, but we must improve our performance. Last year, the defence gave us stability. Today there were unacceptable mistakes from us.”

“The problem is that Mallorca got ahead of us due to a mistake on our part, and when we were better and when we should have turned the match around before the end of the half, another mistake came, and the match became very complicated.”

The Barcelona manager also highlighted the individual performances of some of his players, starting with Inigo Martinez, who made his first start for the club.

While the Spaniard’s display left a lot to be desired, Xavi backed his defender, saying: “Iñigo Martínez played a good game today. He will help us a lot.”

On the topic of young goalscorer Fermin Lopez, the manager added: “I liked Fermin in pre-season. He has potential, he is hungry. His goal today gave us a point. He is a dynamic player and participated very well.”

There was also some praise reserved for young Lamine Yamal, who was bright after coming on as a substitute.

“Lamine Yamal played very well, he understood Raphinha’s role on the pitch very well,” said Xavi.

The 43-year-old also touched upon how important it was for the club to take care of young talents like Yamal and Fermin, saying: “Fermin Lopez and Lamine Yamal are very young. We have to take care of them, and not burn them.”

At the same time, the manager also pointed out that Barça should have been awarded a penalty for a foul on the 16-year-old attacking prodigy.

“I just saw the replay. It seemed to me a clear foul on Lamine Yamal… I cannot hide it,” he remarked.