TRAINING GROUND JOAN GAMPER
[Xavi in Catalan] Now it's all about LaLiga.
You can tell the players believe it, too.
There's a feeling that we can compete against Real Madrid.
Besides, we played a great match.
My brother means everything to me.
He means loyalty, fidelity,
friendship, trust...
I wouldn't be able to manage the team without Óscar by my side.
Recovering after October was really hard.
-Very. -Really hard.
After we were knocked out of the Champions League,
and lost at the Bernabéu.
-Those were really tough times. -That week sucked.
But now the team's back on its feet, and we're in the lead.
Now's the time to make a statement
and gain points on Madrid.
The other teams aren't doing well either.
They're stumbling. They're getting draws. If we manage four or five wins in a row...
-Yeah. -We're on.
January's always tough. League, Cup, League, Cup...
The damn League!
Growing up in this family was easy. All we talk is football.
Sometimes you get home and say,
"Let's talk about something else, you're always talking football and Barça."
But it always ends up coming back to football.
How are you doing on Comunio? Are you managing to find time for it?
-Forget that. -Do you have time for it?
No, that's the problem.
I barely had time in September and October, and I'm way behind.
There's sixteen of us, and I'm pretty much last.
There's no real secret. Whoever plans and spends time on it, wins.
I don't play Comunio.
I'm the only member on staff who doesn't play it.
I have enough to do already, and I decided not to play a long time ago.
I think the analysts are in the lead.
[Xavi] The trident wins.
The trident wins because they've got more time to analyze the game,
work it out... I've got less time. [chuckling]
They play around more. I'm doing really, really badly.
Those bastards are on the computer all day.
Lobito first, Prati second, Pibe third. I've got no hope this year.
I don't stand a chance.
The last four have to pay for dinner.
This year I'm safe, because I'm fifth from the bottom.
It's fun, we tease each other. [chuckles]
[theme music playing]
BARCELONA FEBRUARY 15, 2023
[reporter in Spanish] Cadena SER radio has a scoop.
The public prosecutor is investigating
the company of a former vice-president of referees...
BARÇAGATE SCANDAL!
...who received payments for consultancy from FC Barcelona while in office.
BARÇA PAID 1.4 MILLION
Good morning, Jordi Martí in Barcelona.
The Barcelona prosecutor's office is investigating Dasnil 95,
a company owned by José María Enríquez Negreira...
[reporter 2] A deal in exchange for money to ensure referee decisions favored Barça.
[reporter 3] El País newspaper put the amount at 7.1 million euros since 2001.
[reporter 4] They earned an average of 45,000 euros a month.
[reporter 5] It's the biggest scandal in Spanish football,
and someone has to be held accountable.
[Laporta in Catalan] The truth is they condemned us before we went to court.
Obviously, there's no buying referees because Barça never paid referees.
JOAN LAPORTA PRESIDENT
The club informed us of a court case...
XAVI HERNÁNDEZ COACH
...that could seriously damage our reputation.
-[players shout] -[whistle blows]
LLUÍS FLAQUER CADENA SER JOURNALIST
Our team worked on this story for months.
We only published it after verifying everything,
because obviously, it's a delicate matter.
[Romero] I do think a lot of people took advantage of this story.
All kinds of things came out and were published in the press...
GERARD ROMERO PRESIDENT, JIJANTES FC
...where they're always looking for controversy against Barça.
[Flaquer] And it's a very old story
that affected the board of directors more than the players.
The current team had to be strong, come together a bit more,
and just carry on playing.
[players chatting indistinctly]
[Mascaró] That campaign didn't affect the current team.
They were well protected by Laporta and Xavi.
SPORTS INFORMATION DIRECTOR PRENSA IBÉRICA
[Laporta] That's the president's job.
He must be there in difficult times.
[Xavi] I tried to convey to the players internally
that we were being accused of buying referees.
FC Barcelona has never bribed referees.
That's not what this is about.
[players shouting]
[Busquets] The manager explained the case to us.
We had to focus on the competition...
SERGIO BUSQUETS MIDFIELDER
...and let the president and the club take care of the rest.
-Keep going! -One!
[indistinct shouting]
[Mascaró] They managed to keep the team inside a bubble
so that they were affected very little by all the information that was coming out.
In the end, I think Barça showed its strength as a team
and that this hasn't affected them.
[Laporta] It was all just
an attempt to damage
Barça's progress and upward trajectory.
-You! You fell for it! -[all laughing and cheering]
LEAGUE STANDINGS MATCHDAY 15 OF 38
LALIGA - MATCHDAY 16 OF 38 ATLÉTICO MADRID - FC BARCELONA
[commentator in Spanish] We're in Madrid for the 16th matchday of LaLiga Santander.
It's going to be a great match between Atlético Madrid and FC Barcelona.
[Xavi in Catalan] January was a crucial month.
The staff and I were really worried
about how the players would come back.
We needed to try and plug them back
into this second part of the season,
which is crucial for winning titles.
[whistle blows]
[crowd cheering]
[Simeone] We were having a tough time. Barcelona started better.
They were better in the first 20-30 minutes.
COACH, ATLÉTICO MADRID
[Xavi] We played an amazing first half. Amazing.
We were really good with the ball.
[commentator in English] Pedri takes on three. Pedri pushing forward still.
He finds Gavi, who finds Dembélé with the shot...
[commentator in Spanish] Dembélé scores in the 21st minute of the first half!
[Xavi in Catalan] It was a great goal.
It showcases the superiority we aim for,
with Pedri providing the assist from the inside.
[Pedri] I remember that move.
I was starting to dribble
and I couldn't see anyone free, then right at the end I saw Gavi,
who passed to Ous who scored.
[in French] We hadn't won at the Wanda Metropolitano for a few years.
OUSMANE DEMBÉLÉ FORWARD
So we had to win that game.
[commentator in Spanish] Danger, here's Griezmann! Griezmann!
Marc-André ter Stegen stops the equalizer!
We had an opportunity to equalize, but Barcelona defended really well.
[in Catalan] I remember the ball Araújo saved in the 92nd or 93rd minute.
[commentator in Spanish] Look out for Griezmann!
Save by Araújo who celebrates as if he scored!
[Araújo] I was delighted with that play, because it was a really important match.
RONALD ARAÚJO DEFENDER
Especially because we managed to keep a clean sheet and secure victory.
[whistle blows]
FINAL SCORE ATLÉTICO MADRID 0-1 FC BARCELONA
[Xavi in Catalan] It was a very important victory for us.
For our morale, our confidence...
Because we beat a direct rival.
Come on, let's keep it up!
This is not going to be easy!
[Simeone] Clubs are identified by their style and ways of playing.
Obviously, Barcelona has that.
It was shaped by Cruyff,
by Guardiola, and now Xavi, everyone who followed this path
and continues interpreting the feelings of a city in the best way possible.
BARCELONA 2 DAYS LATER
Morning!
-Hi, Xavi. -How are you?
-Great. -Everything okay?
-Yes. Could you sign here for me, please? -Sure, hold onto it, stretch it tight.
I'm a culé.
It's my club, the club I love.
Ever since I was born, since I could think for myself,
and one of my dreams when I became a coach
was to manage Barça.
All right, it's gone green now, kids, thanks.
-Please, Xavi. -Go on then.
-Thank you. -All right, see you later.
-Good luck. -Bye, thanks.
[Busquets] Back when we played together,
we often talked about how the opponent was playing,
about our systems, what we could improve.
He was a very intelligent player, with Barça in his DNA, who knows the club
and was waiting for his time.
[commentator in Spanish] The long pass, watch out for Xavi! Goal!
Xavi Hernández!
[Iniesta] He's always thinking about football,
how to improve, how to play, how to have a game philosophy.
ANDRÉS INIESTA FC BARCELONA PLAYER 2000 - 2018
Now he's managing the club he loves, the club he knows inside out.
[commentator] You have to put a bib on when they start to play!
[Márquez] You could see he had what it takes to be a manager,
and now, I think with all his knowledge and ideas,
he's doing a magnificent job.
FC BARCELONA ATLÉTIC COACH
Obviously, he's a great manager.
Wins and defeats last 24 hours.
Remember that.
He brought back the Barça philosophy.
Hard work, commitment, values...
[Xavi in Catalan] I live it. I'm on the bench, suffering.
When we score it's like I'm celebrating in the stands.
So I try to instil in the players my love for Barça.
I tell them, "We belong to Barça, we play for the fans."
That allows me to explain our way of playing,
my game philosophy, our staff philosophy.
TRAINING GROUND JOAN GAMPER
[Alegre] Xavi...
ASSISTANT COACH
One of his many virtues is that he's down to earth.
He delegates a lot to his coaching staff.
GOALKEEPING COACH
ASSISTANT COACH
He leaves room for opinion and debate. That's important.
[Xavi] Those who do the work...
-The situation... -Okay.
Doubling the possession and we keep passing it between us.
[Óscar] They won't be able to. There's no need.
I'm saying it because while you explain...
-Right. This is the team attacking... -I mean...
Yes, the center-back with the ball is not being pressured.
Okay. Let's just do it direct.
[Alegre] He gives you a lot of leeway, plenty of peace of mind...
He places a lot of trust in us.
And he knows we'll give him our all, and all our loyalty.
Xavi is very easy to work with.
Great.
-[Xavi] All right then, let's get going. -Great.
LALIGA - MATCHDAY 18 OF 38 FC BARCELONA - GETAFE
[commentator in Spanish] At the Spotify Camp Nou, Barça-Getafe.
-It's kick-off time! -[whistle blows]
[in English] The start of the new year has been good for us. We played well.
FRENKIE DE JONG MIDFIELDER
[Xavi in Catalan] That period made us compete for the league.
The players were very focused on winning titles.
[commentator] Nice touch from Christensen.
Great pass for Raphinha! He crosses it for Pedri...
Goal!
[commentator in English] Pedri scores for Barça!
It's 1-0 to the Blaugrana.
Pedri!
[Koundé in French] It gave us a lot of confidence. We didn't let in many goals.
We didn't let up.
JULES KOUNDÉ DEFENDER
[commentator in Catalan] Jordi Alba's on the attack, he sends it across...
Goal, goal, goal!
Raphinha, Raphinha, Raphinha!
[in English] Winning was all that was on our minds.
ANDREAS CHRISTENSEN DEFENDER
[commentator in Spanish] Pedri hits the deck.
He recovers the ball from the ground! Incredible play by Pedri!
[Xavi in Catalan] Pedri put in some incredible numbers, and decisive goals.
I remember lots of 1-0, 0-1... He scored in Girona.
[commentator] It's Gavi, half-turn by Gavi.
Ansu for Jordi Alba who crosses it...
Goal, goal, goal!
Pedri scores, Pedri scores, Pedri scores.
When he arrived, the manager told me...
PEDRI MIDFIELDER
...I had to score a lot more goals.
We'd joke that he had to score more goals.
ERIC GARCÍA DEFENDER
That's what was missing and he's nailed it.
FERRAN TORRES FORWARD
[commentator in Spanish] The ball's back to Raphinha, then to Pedri.
-Pedri, Pedri, Pedri! -[commentator 2] Goal.
[commentator 1] Goal!
Pedri Potter scores!
LEAGUE STANDINGS MATCHDAY 21 OF 38
[in Catalan] The team with Pedri is one thing, and without him it's another.
He gives us a lot, he's a key player.
[commentator in English] Great ball down the middle for Pedri!
He's in on goal, what wonderful footwork!
[commentator in Catalan] Watch out for Pedri! His elegance, his dribbling...
Unbelievable what Pedri's just done! Sensational!
Another run by Pedri!
Masterful!
[Iniesta] Technically, he's got incredible talent.
For me what stands out about Pedri is how naturally he plays.
It's as if he's in the school playground.
Look out for Gavi! He puts it in the penalty spot...
Pedri! Goal, goal, goal, goal!
Pedri's an incredible player. He's only 20 but plays like he's already 28.
ALEJANDRO BALDE DEFENDER
I think he's the best.
GAVI MIDFIELDER
[crowd cheering]
[Pedri] I believe that when we're enjoying playing,
it shows in the result.
I know I have a lot of work to do,
I still have room to improve... I work on these things every day.
-Ready? -Yes.
Three, two, one...
You.
[Pedri] I'm really competitive, just ask my family.
I always try to win at board games.
I always try to win.
Because I don't really like losing.
No!
[Eric García] Whenever we play,
he's always ready to compete, to win...
And if he doesn't win the first time, he'll try and win the next hundred.
Even after you've gone home, he'll be practicing, to win tomorrow.
[player exclaiming and laughing]
[Pedri] I love basketball.
We've got a little hoop in the gym,
and we often start shooting...
Having fun for a bit.
Nice!
[Sergi Roberto] Whenever we're working...
SERGI ROBERTO MIDFIELDER
...we always find time for a little competition.
We really enjoy ourselves.
[Xavi] Sometimes I see them playing.
There's a few hoops in the gym.
[exclaims]
[Pedri] I think Sergi's the best, he's got an incredible wrist.
Satoransky, Satoransky.
If I have to tell you who's the worst, it's Eric.
-Yeah! -Nice!
Pedri tries his best, Ansu tries his best, but they're not on my level. [laughs]
[Ansu] I heard Eric say... [chuckles]
I was the worst, but that's not true.
I'm the best, and I think he knows that.
ANSU FATI FORWARD
I'd love to see a competition on a real court.
[in English] It's time for the video, Michael.
PAU GASOL TWO-TIME NBA CHAMPION
[in Spanish] Michael reminds me of Knight Rider. "Michael!"
-You see? -[people laughing]
Okay, let's go.
[indistinct chatter]
Ousi's men. [laughs]
Kevin Durant.
[in English] You know who I am?
You know, huh?
[in Spanish] Yes, yes.
Let's see what they're up to.
Doesn't matter how hard they practice, they're not gonna win.
Let's show them how to play.
[exclaims]
[Pedri] Take it!
[both] Ooh!
[Busquets] No point training, eh!
-Who am I with? -Ous and Eric.
Okay.
-Let's go! -How many shots?
Look at that little hand.
-Okay, Pedri. -No pressure, hey, Pedri?
-Go on, Gavi, shoot. -Okay.
No one wanted to shoot after scoring the first one?
[players cheer]
That's the first that went in.
Let's go.
Like that, you bastard.
What are you doing? We're winning.
[in French] We do almost everything together.
We see each other every day.
[in Spanish] What's the score?
Come on, Ous!
We're on three.
-And us? -We're on two.
[Dembélé in French] People make a lot of jokes, there's a great atmosphere.
Honestly, young and old, everyone fits in pretty quickly.
[indistinct chatter]
[in Spanish] That's it, now.
Go on.
Wow, wow, wow.
[chuckles]
Three! Right?
[Xavi in Catalan] Eric's more technical.
Sergi Roberto's also pretty skillful.
Ferran's got height.
It's tricky. You can tell Pedri's got talent too.
Two for two.
Fermur.
Look at Pedri, nice little shot.
Put it there!
Celebrate it with the team, man!
[Alonso] Busi's quite skilled.
Yeah, Busi!
Pedri's a disaster. [chuckles]
MARCOS ALONSO DEFENDER
[players] Oh, my!
Nice, Pedri!
That ball has too much air!
There's plenty of talent, some great wrists in the team.
But I think it's a toss up between me and Sergio.
[in English] Overrated!
[Pau Gasol in Spanish] He's got a great hand, you can tell he's in great form.
And he's got a great... really great touch.
Great, Gavi, well played.
Now you believe me, right?
UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE FIRST LEG, KNOCKOUT ROUND
[commentator in English] The Europa League campaign
gets underway for Barcelona this evening
and it's a game worthy of the European elite.
Manchester United are the visitors to the Spotify Camp Nou
in a clash of the titans.
[Xavi in Catalan] It's a massive game.
It's an incredible knock-out match for the crowd,
for all football lovers.
It was a very close knock-out round, the best teams in Europe.
JORDI ALBA DEFENDER
[Lewandowski in English] Manchester United were on top form.
I think they were one of the best teams in Europe at that time.
ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI FORWARD
[Raphinha in Portuguese] It could easily have been a Champions League final.
Two of the biggest teams in world football.
RAPHINHA FORWARD
[commentator in Spanish] And the game begins.
[commentator in Catalan] Pass to Gavi, Gavi lobs it nicely to Pedri.
Pedri controls, strikes with his left... It goes over!
Jadon Sancho plays with Rashford.
Rashford's off, watch out for Rashford!
-Amazing save by Ter Stegen! -[commentator 2] Very nice.
[commentator in Spanish] Watch out, Pedri. Pedri's pulled a muscle.
-Muscle injury for Pedri. -[commentator 2] Unlucky.
[commentator 1] So he obviously won't be able to play the rest of the match,
or probably the return leg
against Manchester United.
[Pedri] When I got injured against United,
everything goes through your mind.
Injuries are the worst thing that can happen to a player.
They prevent you from doing what you love, which is playing football.
[commentator in English] Pedri, who's been such an influential figure for Barça
in the last few weeks,
looks like he's going to be joining those two men,
Sergio Busquets and Ousmane Dembélé, in the infirmary.
[Pedri in Spanish] I was really happy with my body, I felt in great shape.
I wasn't expecting it, which is why it was so hard.
[commentator in Catalan] It's a very tight corner... Goal, goal!
-By Marcos. -Goal by Marcos Alonso!
MINUTE 50 FC BARCELONA 1-0 MANCHESTER UNITED
Marcos Alonso scores!
And dedicates it to his father, who'll be celebrating in heaven.
Yes, sir! Marcos Alonso deserves that.
He thought of his father, the Barça legend, who died recently.
Marcos Alonso's crying with emotion.
Great play, Marcos Alonso.
[Laporta] He left us moments of glory as a player,
we remember his goals,
some incredible goals, like the ones from the cup final.
[reporter in Spanish] He played 13 seasons in the First Division,
managed nine teams.
Hugs from his family, the football family, who has lost one of its greats.
[Alonso] After such hard times,
something like that's really special.
For me and my family.
It will never fade.
[crowd cheering]
[commentator in Catalan] Gavi pulls his shirt.
[commentator 2] Gavi...
[commentator in Spanish] Yellow card for Gavi.
[commentator in English] That is a massive yellow card.
It means Gavi's going to be suspended for the next game in the Europa League.
[commentator in Catalan] United's on the attack, Rashford... Goal.
-No... -United just drew even.
Powerful shot by Rashford.
MINUTE 52 FC BARCELONA 1-1 MANCHESTER UNITED
Barça's happiness was short-lived, only two minutes.
Rashford has the ball.
He dribbles easily past Raphinha.
That's a dangerous pass... Goal.
-No way. -That was a defensive error by Barça.
-It came off Koundé. -Own goal.
MINUTE 59 FC BARCELONA 1-2 MANCHESTER UNITED
[Xavi] They score two quick goals against us. In three or four minutes.
Nevertheless, at 1-2 we reacted.
We reacted competitively as a team.
We played a solid 10 or 15 final minutes.
[commentator] Koundé and Raphinha. Raphinha is going to cross it...
Raphinha's cross... Goal, goal, goal, goal, goal!
MINUTE 76 FC BARCELONA 2-2 MANCHESTER UNITED
Raphinha scores, goal by Raphinha.
At their lowest point Barça have drawn level!
[Xavi] If we'd managed to score 3-2, we'd have turned things around.
In Europe, in knock-out competitions,
it's those details that get you through.
[commentator in Spanish] It's a long ball looking for Raphinha.
Shaw gets a touch, Raphinha's header!
Nicely done by De Gea, who sends it out for a corner.
[whistle blows]
That's the end of the game. Barça 2, Manchester United 2.
Next week,
at 9:00 p.m. in Old Trafford,
the second and final leg will take place.
[crowd chanting indistinctly]
TRAINING GROUND 2 DAYS LATER
[reporter] Gavi will miss the match in Old Trafford
after receiving his third yellow card.
It's a big loss for Barça for next week's game.
Put it there! There! There!
[players exclaiming]
-Gavi, Gavi! -[applause]
Gavi, you'd better go straight in the showers!
[indistinct chatter]
[in French] Gavi's a...
He's quite a character.
[Pablo Torre] He's always in high gear,
but that's part of how he plays, his character.
PABLO TORRE MIDFIELDER
That's what's got him to where he is now.
[de Jong in English] I think a lot of people speak about it,
but I think it's a really good thing.
He's a winner, he's always a competitor.
[exclaims]
[Koundé in French] He likes it. It's part of his personality.
It's really something I like about him.
[Xavi in Spanish] Now what? That was a bad pass. Shall I do that as well?
What do I do? Do I do it like this?
Stop whining, man. It's for you, Gavi.
That's even worse, for your teammates, too.
[Gavi] Yeah, the coach really helps me a lot with that,
he tries to get me to improve.
Because I've got a lot to learn, and that's normal.
I'm always saying it, face the ball.
You see everything when you face the game.
When you're facing it, everything goes smoothly.
[de Jong in English] Of course, he's young and he can learn some things,
but I think the one thing he shouldn't change is his attitude,
which is really good.
[Koundé in French] Although there are some times
when he needs to focus a little,
that's normal, he's young, and I'm sure he'll get there.
In any case, it's important to have players like him in the team,
who are capable of setting the tone.
[in Spanish] Yes! That's it, Gavi!
Keep it up!
MANCHESTER UNITED KINGDOM
[reporter] Barça have landed in Manchester,
where the temperature is now eight degrees Celsius.
They haven't brought Gavi, who's suspended,
or Pedri and Dembélé, both injured.
[reporter in Catalan] They're not just missing Pedri.
[reporter in Spanish] Gavi's also going to be absent after his third yellow card.
[indistinct chatter]
[Xavi] I think this team has left all its insecurities behind in Spain.
We're on even terms with Real Madrid.
We look them in the eyes, we've won a title.
We're leaders in the league.
But sometimes, when we play in Europe, it feels as if we're still...
"Oh, my goodness, it's Europe, it's Manchester, it's Bayern, Inter..."
I feel that today's the perfect day, the perfect day...
to get rid of our insecurities in Europe.
For Europe to say, "We're here."
That we're back.
It's the Barça we always knew.
UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE RETURN LEG, KNOCKOUT ROUND
[commentator] One and a half minutes to go for this real test, this trial by fire.
You can hear the extraordinary atmosphere here tonight
in Manchester, in Old Trafford, the Theater of Dreams.
[commentator in English] Massive, massive game.
They always are between these two sides.
It might be the Europa League,
but this has a Champions League atmosphere.
[Lewandowski] We had a few injuries again.
This time in the forwards, so we couldn't show our best key players.
[in Spanish] It was really tough. Being unable to experience
any defeat or victory with the team is tough for any player.
-[crowd cheering] -[whistle blows]
Raphinha to Kessié, here's Koundé, who crosses it.
It's blocked by Varane. Oh, Balde couldn't make it.
He does get there first... That's a grab, penalty!
Penalty. Penalty. Penalty...
Bruno Fernandes clearly shoved Alejandro Balde.
Lewandowski.
De Gea in goal.
Eleven meters.
[whistle blows]
-[commentator in Catalan] Goal, goal! -Goal!
Goal, goal, goal!
MINUTE 18 MANCHESTER UNITED 0-1 FC BARCELONA
De Gea got a hand to it, but that wasn't enough
because Robert Lewandowski just scored the first goal.
Manchester United 0, Barça 1. Goal by Robert Lewandowski.
[commentator in Spanish] Look out, Fred! Goal.
[commentator in English] It's the equalizer for Manchester United.
MINUTE 47 MANCHESTER UNITED 1-1 FC BARCELONA
It's 1-1.
[de Jong] In the second half they were better. We gave the game away.
I think they deserved the win in the second half.
[commentator in Catalan] Danger, Bruno passes to Garnacho...
Christensen saves!
Christensen saved Fred's shot, Anthony...
They just scored a second goal against us.
[whistle blows]
[commentator in English] Game over at Old Trafford.
European campaign over for Barça.
[Christensen] Losing that game was a bit of a blow.
It was a tough moment, knowing that you could have won
a European trophy this season.
[commentator] Barça will shift their focus back to LaLiga.
[Xavi in Spanish] This year we at least competed,
we faced up to every challenge.
But they were better than us, so they won.
Luckily, we've got a match on Sunday, so we have to react straight away.
Life goes on.
[in Catalan] From the beginning of the season, our main objective,
especially now that we're out of Europe...
The main objective was LaLiga.
Xavi, the club, the fans, they all see Europe as an adventure.
LaLiga is compulsory.
LALIGA - MATCHDAY 24 OF 38 FC BARCELONA - VALENCIA CF
[commentator in Spanish] Welcome to matchday 24
of LaLiga Santander.
It's FC Barcelona v. Valencia in the Spotify Camp Nou.
[commentator 2] You cannot take things for granted.
[commentator in English] It's time to bounce back in LaLiga.
[whistle blows]
[commentator 1 in Spanish] The game has just started, Valencia get the ball going.
-Xavi Hernández is not on the bench. -Right.
[commentator 1] His brother Óscar holds the fort today.
[commentator 2] Xavi's received too many warnings.
[commentator 1] Busquets again. It's 4.30 p.m., Raphinha, that's it, goal.
Nice, nice!
-Goal! -Goal, goal, goal!
What a great ball.
-Amazing! -Raphinha scores!
My challenge was to arrive here
and try and win LaLiga.
[teammate] Right, Rafa, 93rd minute.
Post!
[Raphinha] I chose to come here because it was my childhood dream,
and I wanted to be a part of the changes the club was making.
LALIGA - MATCHDAY 25 OF 38 ATHLETIC CLUB - FC BARCELONA
[commentator in English] And we're ready to get underway here
on the Sunday night game in San Mamés.
[commentator in Catalan] The atmosphere is absolutely incredible.
Scarves to the wind all over San Mamés.
There's a lot at stake for Barça. It's El Clásico next week.
But with Real Madrid's victory over Espanyol yesterday,
Barça have to win to start next week's game
with a nine-point lead over Real.
[whistle blows]
[commentator in Spanish] The ball's inside the box, Muniain shoots...
Incredible save by Ter Stegen. That was going in.
It was spinning in.
Busquets arrives at the final third.
He's still got the ball, he lays it off.
Nicely to Raphinha, on his right foot, Raphinha shoots, goal!
-Goal, goal, goal, goal. -Raphinha's goal!
Barcelona scores.
Raphinha Ramos delivers.
In the 47th minute, Athletic 0, Barcelona 1.
Goal by Raphael Dias, aka Raphinha.
I like the responsibility of picking things up
and helping as best I can.
So winning here was incredible.
[whistle blowing]
[commentator] It's over, that's the end of the game.
A very important victory for Barça, who win by a goal.
Really tough pitch, tough result. But we're nine points clear,
which gives us great peace of mind.
[Xavi in Catalan] Three golden points for us,
that keep us nine points clear,
so we can prepare for El Clásico with great confidence.
LEAGUE STANDINGS MATCHDAY 25 OF 38
IN THE NEXT EPISODE
[commentator in Spanish] Barça face Real Madrid, football will come to a halt
when the ball starts moving and the titans face off.
[in Catalan] Honestly, I think it'll be tricky.
Madrid are always much more dangerous when they're injured.
[Gavi] You're always a bit nervous.
[Koundé in French] It's a decisive match for the title.
[reporter in Spanish] Espanyol face Barça in an exciting derby.
If Barça win this match, they'll be LaLiga champions.
[Xavi] It's war out there.
We can't fail, guys.
Give everything on the field.
I'm proud of this team. Let's go.