Xavi Hernandez was full of praise for Lamine Yamal's performance away at Villarreal on Sunday. The Catalan coach acknowledged that Barcelona didn't perform well defensively and highlighted the performances of the young players and substitutes.

Barcelona managed to secure a 4-3 victory, with Yamal producing the assist for Gavi's opener 12 minutes into the first half.

"My expectations [for Yamal] are very high," Xavi told the press.

"He's a starter not because of the coach's whim. His decision-making is almost always correct. He's intelligent. He's exceptional.

"I'd like to see him play with the Spanish national team. He hasn't told me anything about his plans. I hope he stays at Barcelona for many years.

"He has the potential to make a mark. But with patience. I don't think there will be management issues. He's delighted and happy. He's humble, works hard, loves football... I see him ready to play. His age surprises me: just turned 16."

Defensive improvement

Xavi went on to discuss about the match and stressed that the Blaugrana need to improve at the back.

"The match was chaotic due to our own faults," he noted.

"We had control of the match. We conceded too much. Then, the team played calmly, confidently, and created opportunities.

"I believe the score is too narrow. We deserved to score a couple or three more goals. A good attacking game, but defensively we conceded too much.

"Defensively, it was tough for us today, but [Villarreal are] not an easy team or pitch. I'm proud of what I saw, especially in the second half.

"However, if we stop pressing high and recovering after losing possession, we'll suffer. We need to improve defensively. But I'm satisfied, particularly with the second half. We showed patience. It's a positive step forward in terms of our style of play."

Youngster Fermin Lopez came off the bench late in the game to replace Ilkay Gundogan and Xavi insisted that Barcelona should give opportunities to prodigies taking into account their financial struggles.

"They also showed faith in me when I was 17 or 18," Xavi recalled.

"[Fermin] is another example. We need to look at the youth academy, especially given the economic situation we're in. Lamine Yamal was excellent today as well. I told them that I was scared when I was in their shoes, and I've told them not to be scared."