Spanish legend Xavi Hernandez kicked off his start to life as Barcelona head coach with a scrappy 1-0 win over Catalan rivals Espanyol at the Camp Nou on Saturday night.
Xavi secured a positive first step to his return to the club, with three points on the board, but his side was fortunate not to concede a late equalizer.
Neither side created much before the break with Sergio Busquets and Gavi both denied by Diego Lopez in the visitor’s goal.
However, Barcelona stepped it up a gear after the restart, with Dutch star Memphis Depay picking himself up to convert from the penalty spot
But despite appearing set to go on and clinch a comfortable victory over their neighbours, Barcelona was forced to withstand a flurry of late pressure.
In form star, Raul de Tomas rattled the post from a free-kick before substitute Landry Dimata missed an open goal in the final moments.
Up next for Xavi is a midweek Champions League clash against Benfica with a win needed to secure their place in the last 16 in 2022.
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