After their 3-0 defeat against Bayern Munich at Camp Nou, Barcelona will be playing Europa League football for the second consecutive season.
Inter Milan’s win against Viktoria Plzen earlier in the night had sealed the fate of the Spanish side prior to the game against Bayern. But, the defeat against the German champions took away any remaining hope of going out on a positive note.
Barcelona playing Europa League football once again – What has gone wrong?
Barcelona lost 2-0 and 3-0 to Bayern Munich this season, and were defeated 3-0 twice by Die Roten last season. In 19/20, when the Bavarians won their sixth Champions League title, Barca were embarrassed by an 8-2 scoreline.
The Blaugranas have always struggled to keep up with Bayern, and their record speaks for itself. But that doesn’t take away from the fact that the team is second in La Liga.
It is important to note, however, that Xavi’s Barcelona are not best equipped to deal with high-pressure situations like their rivals Real Madrid, or Bayern.
While he has some of the best players in the world at his disposal, the wrong mentality will hinder their ability to overturn things when they are not favourable. So, alongside the tactics and the finishing for the team, there is a strong need for Xavi to strengthen the team’s collective mentality to handle the pressure of the big games where a lot is at stake.
