Xavi Hernandez hailed substitutes Pedri, Lamine Yamal and Joao Felix after seeing his team beat Osasuna 2-0 on Thursday.
Yamal arrived in the first half and took over from the injured Raphinha. He ended up sealing the win late on after great work from Felix.
Pedri also had an impact on his return from injury, and Xavi was happy to see the trio make their mark on the game.
“He [Felix] has been very good, he has come on well, and Lamine and Pedri…, the changes have favored us. We are in another final,” he told reporters.
“When Pedri arrives, everything becomes clearer. He doesn’t lose balls, he generates superiority. With him we had a lot of control.
“He is good, ready to be a starter. It was the idea we had, that he would play a few minutes today. I have spoken with him and he is fine. The three substitutions have beeen phenomenal. That is what they are for, to count on them when they are required.”
Xavi went on to talk about Yamal after seeing the 16-year-old become the youngest player to score in the Spanish Super Cup.
“He does almost everything well with the ball, he does everything with meaning,” he said.
“The pity is that he’s only 16 years old, and that shows in the physical duel, but he’s an extraordinary talent.”
Yamal could well start the game against Madrid following Raphinha’s injury. Xavi confirmed the Brazilian has a hamstring problem but did not say how long he expects the forward to be out for.
