“Xavi will take Barca wherever he wants” – Luciano Spalletti heaps praise on Barcelona coach ahead of Europa League showdown

Napoli coach Luciano Spalletti has heaped praise on Barcelona boss Xavi, claiming the former Barca midfielder knows how to transmit his knowledge to his team. Barcelona will welcome Napoli to Camp Nou for the first leg of their Europa League round-of-32 tie on Thursday night.

Playing in the Europa League for the first time in 18 years, the Blaugrana will be determined to get a win in their tournament opener. Serie A contenders Napoli, however, have what it takes to ruin Xavi’s night at Camp Nou.

Napoli boss Luciano Spalletti sees plenty of positives at Xavi’s Barca and thinks the sky is the limit for the two-time treble-winning midfielder. Speaking about his opposite number, Spalletti told Mundo Deportivo:

“He was a footballer who controlled the time, the spaces and the matches, he sure knows how to transmit his knowledge and his quality to the team. I see his team in a good moment, he seeks to build from the back, with a high defence and go on attack."

He added:

"Good footballers arrived in January, unpredictable, who know how to decide a game by themselves. They have a good level. Xavi will take Barça wherever he wants.”

Since taking charge of Barcelona in November, Xavi has led his former club to battle a total of 16 times, winning seven of those matches. Xavi's record may not be as flattering as some would have expected. However, the Blaugrana have shown some positive signs under the former midfielder.

The return leg of their Europa League last-32 clash is scheduled for February 24 in Naples.

Napoli clash set to be Xavi’s biggest Barcelona test yet

When the former central midfielder took charge of the club in November, the Catalan outfit were already on their way out of the Champions League. In Barca’s final Champions League game, they faced Bayern Munich, and, as expected, it ended in the Bavarians' favor.

Since the exit, the Blaugrana have only been subjected to two defeats. The first one was in the Spanish Super Cup semi-final against Real Madrid. The second came in the Copa del Rey against Athletic Bilbao.

The Spaniard was heavily criticized after both cup fixtures, as his side failed to play the brand of football they are renowned for.

Having signed some top-drawer reinforcements in January, the time has finally come for Barcelona to play like there is no tomorrow. Against Napoli, they have to play with ferocity, intelligence, and explosiveness.

The Blaugrana cannot afford to give the visitors even an inch of space at Camp Nou. They must fight for every ball and attack on counters.