Barcelona coach Xavi says Rayo Vallecano deserved last night's 2-1 win.
Xavi concedes they weren't at their best for the defeat.
"We didn't play well, we were never comfortable. We knew the difficulty of this match. They were very intense and we didn't make the most of our chances," said Xavi.
"The second goal, which penalised us, with the rebound off De Jong, was key. We played with courage, but Rayo were deserved winners because they were intense, aggressive and put us under suffocating pressure. Even so, we tried until the end."
Xavi also said, "This hurts, but it is one game less.
"Against Atltico Madrid we were very good, this time we were bad, we were sluggish. It was a good opportunity, but we shouldn't think that we are in a negative dynamic because the game against Atltico was brilliant in many moments."
