Beating Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Napoli and other teams – Xavi's arrival has taken Barcelona to a sweet sleep. But throughout The Month of April, they seemed to be caught up in a nightmare from which they couldn't wake up. They screamed to wake up and harvey's honeymoon period was over after losing three games in a row at Camp Nou for the first time in club history. For better or worse, it was a good start for the former Barca midfielder, who likened Real Madrid's 4-0 defeat at the Bernabeu to a sci-fi movie, but also admitted there was a "horror plot". Last week's screening at Camp Nou clearly falls into the latter category, and it is the level that requires further censorship. Because Barca lost 1-0 in Monday's match against Cadiz and then were double-scored by the same score against Vallecano on Sunday.
There are many more similar bridges to follow, with the next game facing mallorcas fighting for their relegation cause, and they will visit camp Nou this Sunday. The script they needed to follow to beat Barcelona was written by Cadiz and Rayo Vallecano. Slow down the game, systematically waste time, rotate injuries or cramps between different players, and interrupt the game with repeated small fouls. The Spanish giants' slump puts their hopes of second place or even Champions League qualification at risk. The performance of Cadiz, in particular, is as disappointing and numbing as the end of The Koeman era.
Barcelona's 15-game unbeaten run at the start of the year has disappeared. Harvey said: "I know it doesn't motivate the fans and players to go for second place, but we have to play in the Champions League and we want to hear the Champions League music next season. We have to play better in the game. We didn't do well in the first half. We performed better in the second half. We tried everything but the situation was difficult. As a coach, I realized that I wasn't motivating them to be a mistake. ”
The loss at home to Eintracht Frankfurt was also a brutal blow, not only for their hopes of winning the Europa League, but also for the morale of the team, who were ecstatic to see their side take a 3-0 lead in a stadium full of jubilant away fans. Supporters of Bundesliga powerhouses snapped up tickets to the match at Camp Nou, reportedly attended by 30,000 people, crowding the iconic Plaza Catalunya and singing songs to Spain's soccer mecca.
The club's "grada d'ani maci ó" protested by boycotting the match against Cadiz that the club allowed so many away fans to enter, leaving a strange and empty atmosphere inside the huge arena. Despite their appearance against Rayo Vallecano, attendance for both matches was around 50,000, somewhat awkward compared to the club's women's team. In the past few weeks, Barça women's football team has played in the Women's Champions League twice at Camp Nou, with more than 90,000 attendances, witnessing victories for Real Madrid and Wolfsburg respectively.
The Europa League controversy has also sparked a club investigation in which president Laporta has tried to blame some season ticket holders for selling passes, as well as an antiquated booking system that is overloaded and doesn't take much responsibility. On the pitch, Barca peaked at the Bernabeu on the day of the international match and suddenly lost momentum, similar to last season when they beat Real Sociedad at the same moment and then lost the title. Harvey admitted to playing a stressful game that the club hasn't adapted to in recent years has cost his players a price.
Pedri's injury is also a big problem. Xavi's Barcelona played an all-out performance when the Canarys were at their best, taking control of the game and creating opportunities for the striker in front of him, but he is now missing the rest of the game due to a torn hamstring. From the moment he disappeared, the whole team was discouraged. Fati was also sidelined and the possibility of him coming off the bench gives a glimmer of hope for the final five games of the season. The teenager's return from an injury against Levante in September boosted the morale of the club and hopefully he will do it again.
Xavi was surprised to say after arriving in Barcelona that many players had not been trained for the Barcelona position and that it was still a challenge. Dest – another player who missed the rest of the season due to injury – did not keep up well with Alvaro Garcia's run, resulting in a conceded goal, and De Jong was replaced early after another poor performance. At the same time, Aubameyang has maintained excellent goal scoring form, but he has also encountered difficulties in carrying and controlling the ball, which is a problem for a team that wants to keep the ball at all times.
Barca had less possession of the ball in Thursday's match against Real Sociedad, winning only 1-0 thanks to the Basque side's wanton wave of shots. In the long week before Mallorca arrives in Catalonia on Sunday, Xavi has a lot of work to do, both tactically and mentally, and he hopes to get Barca to fall asleep again.