Xavi warned Barcelona they have "no margin for error" in Wednesday's Champions League meeting with Inter, declaring only a win will do for the Blaugrana at Camp Nou.
Hakan Calhanoglu's long-range strike condemned Barca to their second defeat in three Champions League outings last week, leaving them three points adrift of the Nerazzurri in Group C.
That defeat was just the second Barca have suffered in 11 Champions League meetings with Inter (W6 D3), but another reverse would see them eliminated if Bayern Munich avoid defeat to Viktoria Plzen.
The importance of the occasion was not lost on Xavi at his pre-match news conference, where the former midfielder outlined his team's desire for retribution.
"We expect an Inter very similar to the one in Milan. They will form the lower block, the middle block, we have alternatives, we have prepared them," Xavi said.
"It is a final, and we have no margin for error. With the help of the fans, we hope there will be a magical night.
"We must not lower our guard; there is talent, there is a desire for revenge, so we have to give everything so that the victory stays here.
"I would like to be a player tomorrow, I would rather be a player than a coach tomorrow. For me, it is a very good opportunity. We are motivated and hopeful."
Xavi described the decision to deny Pedri a second-half equaliser last week as an "injustice" after Ansu Fati was penalised for handball, but the Blaugrana coach says his team must make the officials' performances immaterial by improving.
"We had a logical outrage after the game, but that's it. Tomorrow it's time to play better," Xavi added. "If we improve the game, maybe we won't talk about the referees."
Inter's tally of 0.18 expected goals (xG) in last week's victory was the lowest of any team to have won a Champions League game this season, and Xavi knows Barcelona must remain patient in the return fixture.
"It's a game to be calm, to know how to position yourself, you don't have to score in minute one. We have to try not to feel the pressure, I always tell them that the pressure is on me," he added.
"You have to be patient, but if we attack like in the second half in Milan, I'm optimistic. We have to be more aggressive. Only three points are worth it for us, we have to be brave."
Meanwhile, Barcelona have been beset by defensive injuries recently, and while Jules Kounde is unlikely to feature on Wednesday, Xavi hopes he will return to face Real Madrid on Sunday.
"We don't count on him except for a surprise, for Sunday we will see. He can make it, but it will depend on his feelings," Xavi added. "I see him well, training hard, positive, my feeling is that he can make it to Sunday."
Al Hilal 3-1 Al Fateh: Neves on target as Saudi giants close in on title
Al Hilal moved 12 points clear of Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr at the top of the Saudi Pro League as Ruben Neves scored in a 3-1 win over Al Fateh on Friday.
Former Wolves star Neves slotted in from the penalty spot in the 74th minute, as Al Hilal completed a rapid comeback.
Having fallen behind to Lucas Zelarayan's 57th-minute opener, Al Hilal responded swiftly through Micheal before Salem Al Najdi fouled Mohammed Al Qahtani in the penalty area.
Ex-Barcelona winger Cristian Trello and Al Fateh coach Slaven Bilic were booked for their complaints, with Neves making no mistake, paving the way for Ali Al Bulayhi to seal victory in the 15th minute of an extended period of stoppage time.
Data Debrief
Al Hilal have now won 21 games on the spin in the league. They have scored 86 goals across their 28 matches this season, winning 26 in total.
They had 19 shots on Friday, accumulating 2.34 xG to Al Fateh's 0.25, with pass-master Neves creating three chances to go along with his goal.
RFEF elects Rocha as new president
The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has confirmed Pedro Rocha as its new president.
Rocha has been elected as Luis Rubiales' replacement, despite being under investigation for corruption.
He had been serving as interim president since Rubiales resigned in September over the scandal caused when he kissed player Jenni Hermoso following Spain's Women's World Cup triumph in August.
In a statement released on Friday, the RFEF said: "Pedro Rocha has today been proclaimed the new president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), after having received the support of the majority of the assembly members of this institution that governs Spanish football.
"The process followed the procedure agreed by the Electoral Commission, which met this morning, and the timetable that was established for these elections."
Rocha has been under investigation since earlier in April, after the RFEF's headquarters was raided by police last month. The Spanish government announced on Thursday that it would be stepping in to oversee the running of the organisation.
Guardiola insists three teams still in title hunt despite Liverpool slip-up
Pep Guardiola insists Liverpool remain in the Premier League title race, despite the Reds losing further ground on Arsenal and Manchester City in a dramatic few days at the summit.
Liverpool suffered a surprise 2-0 defeat to Merseyside rivals Everton on Wednesday, a result which meant they failed to close the gap to Arsenal after the Gunners thrashed Chelsea 5-0 on Tuesday.
While Jurgen Klopp's men couldn't respond to the Gunners pulling clear, City did on Thursday, with Phil Foden scoring twice in an emphatic 4-0 win over Brighton at the Amex Stadium.
One point behind Arsenal with a game in hand, City know five wins from their five remaining matches will seal an unprecedented fourth successive English top-flight title.
However, Guardiola expects further twists and turns in the coming weeks.
Asked if Liverpool were still in contention after City's win, Guardiola told Sky Sports: "Yeah. Many things can happen.
"What happened with Liverpool, losing to Crystal Palace and Everton, can happen to us. It can happen to Arsenal. No-one is safe. We have to rest. Now it is just about recovering for the next one.
"We have been here in the past but being here in the past doesn't mean it is going to happen. We have to do the things to make it happen."
City's comprehensive win – in which Kevin De Bruyne scored his first headed goal in the Premier League – saw them cut Arsenal's goal difference advantage to eight goals.
However, Guardiola believes it will be tough for City to close that gap, saying: "It is difficult to cut. The margin is so big. They score a lot of goals and don't concede.
"The main thing is to win the games. We have five games left and they are tough ones – it's a lot of games. We'll take it one game at a time."
Foden's first goal against Brighton – a deflected free-kick – saw him become just the third player to score 50 top-flight goals under Guardiola while aged 23 or younger, after Erling Haaland and Lionel Messi.
Foden is the favourite to be named Premier League Player of the Season, and while Guardiola believes he should be in contention, he says his player is more concerned with team honours.
"For sure, but he wants to win the Premier League," Guardiola said when asked if Foden deserved individual honours. "His influence in the final third was better than in the last two or three games. Today he was more calm, his decision-making was good and to score goals is always good."
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