Barcelona head coach Xavi praised the impact of deadline day loan signings Joao Cancelo and Joao Felix following their 5-0 home win over Real Betis in La Liga on Saturday.
The game marked a home debut for the Portuguese pair as well as first starts in Barca colours, having each appeared off the bench last time out against Osasuna before the international break.
With Cancelo at right-back and Felix on the left wing, his favoured position by his own admission, Barca romped to a comfortable victory that saw them leapfrog Real Madrid atop La Liga, although their fierce rivals are not in action for the weekend until Sunday night.
But the two loanees could not have had a greater impact, with Felix opening the scoring midway through the first half and Cancelo wrapping it up 10 minutes from the end. Robert Lewandowski, Ferran Torres and Raphinha all found the net in between.
“We are talking about two footballers who, at the level of individual quality, are beyond doubt. You watch them train and you see their greatness,” Xavi said, via Marca.
“Cancelo comes from a coach (Pep Guardiola) who for me is the best and interprets everything very well. We have spoken with him and he has understood it. We saw a video with Joao Felix. They both give variations that make the team improve. Physically, they are strong. They raise the quality of the team, which in general has been very good.
“I see them happy, eager to help the team. They are both where they want to be. They play with joy and have made a difference for the team. Their individual quality is very good and they raise the quality of the team.”
Next up for Barcelona is another home game on Tuesday, but attentions turn to the Champions League as Royal Antwerp visit the Lluis Companys in Montjuic. The Catalans are seeking to progress from the group stage for the first time since 2020/21 after a couple of disastrous years in Europe.
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