“He has shown great personality” - Xavi hails ‘extraordinary’ Barcelona star after win over Porto
Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez lauded goalkeeper Inaki Pena after his performance in their 2-1 win over Porto in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, November 28.
The Blaugrana confirmed their place in the knockout round of the competition after the win over Porto at the Olimpic Lluis Companys Stadium. Winger Pepe opened the scoring for the visitors in the 30th minute but Joao Cancelo equalised after two minutes.
Joao Felix then scored in the 57th minute to make it 2-1 and secure Barcelona's place in the Champions League Round of 16. This is the first time they have gotten past the group stages in three years.
While Cancelo and Felix scored against Porto, another Barca player who stood out was Pena. The Spanish goalkeeper made four saves, made one punch, had a passing accuracy of 83%, and made three clearances.
After the game, Xavi heaped praise on Pena, saying (via Football Espana):
“Inaki Pena has been extraordinary. Not only with his saves, but also in the build-up. He has shown great personality.”
This was only Pena's second appearance this season, having played in Barcelona's 1-1 draw at Rayo Vallecano in La Liga on the weekend. He came through Barca's ranks but has made only seven senior appearances so far.
Pena received the opportunity as Marc-Andre ter Stegen suffered a lower back injury on international duty last week. The German is expected to be back for their La Liga clash against Atletico Madrid on Sunday, December 3.
Joao Cancelo on Barcelona's recent form
The Blaugrana have arguably had an underwhelming start to the season after a title-winning 2022-23 campaign. They are fourth in the La Liga table with nine wins, four draws, and one defeat, four points behind leaders and rivals Real Madrid.
While they have been able to grind out some close results, Barcelona's performances haven't been up to the mark. After the win over Porto, Joao Cancelo reflected on the same, speaking about the squad's confidence, and said (via Marca):
"When the results don't come, the confidence is not the same...we have a group of mature people, spectacular on a human level and we miss this victory. We are already thinking about Atlético."
Cancelo has been a bright spark for Barcelona this season, having arrived from Manchester City on a season-long loan in the summer. He has played as a left-back, right-back, and even on the wings across competitions.
The Portugal international has scored three goals and provided two assists in 16 appearances.