"We were lucky in parts" - Xavi makes honest admission after Barcelona's 'golden' 3-1 victory against Villarreal

Barcelona boss Xavi believes his side were fortunate to pick up all three points against Unai Emery's Villarreal in La Liga on Saturday night. The Catalan giants registered a crucial 3-1 victory over the reigning Europa League champions which preserved Xavi's unbeaten start at Barcelona.

The Catalan giants missed a few opportunities in the first half before Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong opened the scoring in the 48th minute. Unai Emery's side then scored the equalizer in the 76th minute through Samuel Chukwueze.

Barcelona seemed destined to drop two points before Memphis Depay scored their second goal in the 88th minute. Philippe Coutinho added a third for Barcelona in second-half stoppage time to seal the victory.

Barcelona boss Xavi Hernandez believes his side were fortunate to come away with all three points.

"We did not dominate the game as we expected but we played against a great team. We were lucky in parts as Villarreal did not deserve to lose," said Xavi in a post-match press conference.

"It has taken a lot from us on the night. We have been fortunate with Memphis' gaol, but these are three golden points for us."

Barcelona's latest victory has helped them climb up to seventh place in the La Liga table, seven points behind league leaders Real Madrid.

Barcelona will be hoping to continue their promising start under Xavi as they approach a crucial run of fixtures

Villarreal CF v FC Barcelona - La Liga Santander

Barcelona have won two and drawn one of their three games under the management of Xavi Hernandez.The Catalan giants will face a tricky test against Real Betis in La Liga next weekend before traveling to Bayern Munich to play their final Champions League group game of the season.

The game against Bayern Munich is a must-win for Xavi's side if they are to secure second place in their Champions League group and qualify for the round-of-16 stage of the competition.

The Spanish club will also be hoping to sign a couple of players in January to add depth to their squad, and their chances of resurrecting their 2021-22 campaign during the second half of the season. Barcelona are in desperate need of a top-quality striker and a box-to-box midfielder.