Marc-Andre ter Stegen admits Barcelona were 'very lucky' to beat Sevilla
- Barcelona needed an own goal to beat Sevilla on Friday
- Xavi's side controlled possession but were wasteful in front of goal
- The boss knows his side 'sufferred' on home soil
By Tom Gott
Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen has confessed the team were "very lucky" to escape Friday's meeting with Sevilla with a victory.
Despite plenty of possession and a huge number of shots on goal, Barcelona were once again wasteful in the final third and only saw the ball hit the back of the net when old foe Sergio Ramos deflected Lamine Yamal's header beyond his own goalkeeper.
Ter Stegen, who had a busy evening against a struggling Sevilla side, admitted Barcelona needed a slice of good fortune to get the win.
"We had chances in the first half," he began. "Then fatigue came into play and we won with a very lucky goal. We are super satisfied with the three points.
"We have to fight for everything. We had to improve defensively compared to the last games. Very happy with the clean sheet and the final result. It has been seen that the team is motivated and fighting."
Manager Xavi was keen to show his respect for Ramos after the game, insisting his old Clasico rival deserves credit for even being able to play at the top level at 37.
"I haven't seen him and I haven't spoken to him. He is a spectacular defender, he deserves a lot of credit to be at the top level at his age," Xavi said. "He is a professional.
"The goal is a shame for him, but it benefits us. That's life in football. He has a lot of merit to be at his level at his age. Sergio thrives in these environments. For the goal he goes to defend, it rebounds and goes in. It is a misfortune for Sevilla and for him. He played a great game."
Xavi admitted Sevilla made his side suffer at times but praised Barcelona for grinding out a result against tricky opposition.
"We attacked well and we did what the game required," he continued. "The goal was missing before, which came at the end and an own goal. We were very good. Sevilla were strong, but we dominated and created chances so as not to suffer so much.
"Against Celta we did not do well and we conceded a lot. Against Mallorca we improved, but we didn't win. We played a great game against a Champions League level team. They were the champions of the Europa League. We have to continue at this level."
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