Manchester United beat Barcelona 2-1 on home soil at Old Trafford on Thursday and substitute Alejandro Garnacho played a key role in the victory. The Spanish side scored first on a Robert Lewandowski penalty kick, but a pair of second-half goals from Fred and Antony gave the hosts a 4-3 victory on aggregate.
As a consequence, the Red Devils will face Real Betis, in the UEFA Europa League Round of 16. The Madrid-born Garnacho was ecstatic with the triumph, but his celebration photo on Instagram infuriated fans ofthe Blaugrana.
After the final whistle, the 18-year-old covered his eyes as his peer, Pedri does with spectacles, mimicking the latter's signature celebration. He then posted a snapshot of this with the remark, "The big team advanced to the next round" on his social media accounts.
How did Xavi of Barcelona respond to Alejandro Garnacho?
Spanish media panned Garnacho's antics, and now Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez has spoken out about the sour show of disrespect. The 43-year-old Spaniard has accused his opponents of being insensitive in their celebrations, and he has encouraged them to show some compassion.
"Garnacho's celebration? I think when a player is happy, he shows all kinds of anger and grievances toward you. Each player expresses it as it happens. There is a little empathy missing. I think you should celebrate with your teammates, not celebrate to provocate others", Xavi said at a press conference.
