"My return? It was very magical"

Dani Alves was one of the protagonists for Barcelona on Wednesday. After being registered at the last minute, he made his second debut for the Catalans. 

After the hard fought victory, the full-back not only talked about how he saw the tie against Linares Deportivo, but also he felt to be wearing the Barcelona colours again. 

"The Copa del Rey is a competition in which you aren't up to standard, you'll get a nasty surprise. All opponents have their plans and they work well. We had the chances and the plan. It's the magic of the cup, everyone plays to their strengths. You had to win and we've achieved it with lots of personality," Alves told 'DAZN'. 

He also spoke about his return to Barcelona: "My return to the competition? It's very special because it means reliving moments. It was very magical. You have to learn to compete, you have to fight until the last moment. Cups are won by those who fight, we go home satisfied."

Alves began the match as a wing-back with Barcelona playing a back three. When Dembele came on in the second half, the Catalans changed their system which meant the Brazilian played more inside as he did during his last spell at Brazil.

 

January 5, 2022