Barcelona head coach Xavi believes his side were unfortunate to not walk away with all three points despite requiring a last-gasp equaliser in a 2-2 draw at Espanyol on Sunday.
Raul de Tomas fired Vicente Moreno’s hosts in the second half after Pedri and Sergi Darder exchanged first-half strikes at the RCDE Stadium.
Luuk de Jong then delivered a last-gasp header to salvage a point as both sides ended with ten men.
The referee showed Pique and Melamed a red card after a confrontation between them for two bookable offences.
Manuel Morlanes also saw red on the touchline for dissent following De Jong’s equaliser.
This season, Barca’s 10th headed goal in LaLiga – no team has scored more this term, while it is their best tally since the 2016-17 campaign.
While the draw meant Real Betis now have a four-point advantage in third over the Blaugrana.
Barca set a LaLiga record for 24 games unbeaten against Espanyol.
However, Xavi felt his side deserved more than a draw at their Catalan rivals.
“It was a game to win,” Xavi told Movistar after the game. “When we were at our best, we were able to make it 2-0.
“At the end, when the score was 2-1, it seems like you won a point, but analysing it, I think it was ours to win.
“We dominated well, and we had more chances. We lost two points. We’ve been in Espanyol’s half the whole game.
“They’ve come two or three times, and they’ve been very effective. The other day we were, and that pays off.”
Real Madrid remains a distant dream for Barca, who are 15 points behind the LaLiga leaders as the Blaugrana look to cling onto the final Champions League qualification spot.
“The league is tough, and it’s a step backwards, but you have to keep fighting,” he added.
As Coach Xavi chased the game, Ousmane Dembele appeared destined to leave Barca.
Due to a breakdown in contract discussions with the Spanish giants and the french-winger. However, The Spaniard is content to have called the winger.
“Dembele is one more, he can help us, and today he has helped us,” Xavi continued. “He has played good minutes. He is one more for the cause.”
Barca will look to close the gap on Betis when they are next in league action at Valencia on Sunday.
Likewise, for more football news like this, click here.
