Barcelona slipped to a third consecutive home defeat at Camp Nou. Rayo Vallecano completed the double over the Blaugrana with a 1-0 win, taking away three key points from the home team in the process. This was Xavi’s seventh loss as the manager of Barcelona, and they are now 15 points behind league leaders Real Madrid.
With a huge lead separating them from the rest of the league, Real Madrid only need one more point to secure the La Liga title. They are hopeful of being declared the champions of Spain for the 35th time in their coming game against Espanyol at home.
Real Madrid cruising to a 35th La Liga title while Barcelona suffer crisis
Xavi has access to the majority of his starting line-up, but one of the key players missing is Pedri. The lack of speed from Dani Alves, Sergio Busquets and Gerard Pique is also a big factor that influences the team when they are not leading by a number of goals.
The absence of the Golden Boy makes it difficult for Barcelona to create chances and dominate the midfield. As a result, there is a crisis for Xavi to find out how to help his side become more efficient at dealing with teams that like to sit back and defend, like Vallecano.
Real Madrid, on the other hand, have been able to break through defenses with Luka Modric and Toni Kroos’ creativity. And as a result, they have been able to get key results throughout the season while their opponents have stumbled and fallen short.
