Barcelona is fully involved in a sports pit. The team led by Xavi Hernández fell 2-1 to Rayo this Wednesday at Vallecas Stadium, confirming a downward trend that saw them finish the month of April with just one win in their last five games. In this streak, it was possible to see a team that no longer has the intensity it had a month ago and the lack of goals that prevented them from closing many games in the course of the game. “We’ve been fat, but we’re not in a negative dynamic. I don’t want to think about relaxation, but that it is difficult to win this competition. We can’t lack intensity, we can’t afford it,” Xavi said after his team’s defeat against Rayo on Wednesday. The Tarrasa coach wanted to acknowledge the downturn in his team after a month in which his students have radically reduced performance. In April, Barça bid farewell to the Copa del Rey with an embarrassing 0-4 defeat to Real Madrid at the Camp Nou, drawing three setbacks against other League rivals Girona (0-0), Getafe (0-0) and Rayo Vallecano (2-1). Only against Atlético de Madrid, he achieved a victory (1-0) that allowed him to keep his distance in the competition and prevent his pursuers, also erratic, from closing the gap. Related news Matchday 31 standard No Rayo has the measure of Barça Daniel Panero The team of Iraola triumphs over the league leader in Vallecas and adds four games without losing to the Catalans, of course, and these have been corrected thanks to the good results Xavi’s men had an alarming lack of goals. They did not score against Real Madrid, Girona and Getafe, and they barely scored against Atlético and Rayo. The numbers speak for themselves. Barça are the worst leader in the major European leagues in this section, the goalscorer, and the poor run over the past month has only accentuated that little bump. Against that of Iraola, Barça had no depth. He had fewer passes in the last third of the field (111-113) than his rival, shot less (9 to 10) and even finished the game without Raphinha and Ferran Torres making a single successful dribble. Lack of intensity Another aspect that may have weighed on Xavi’s team is relaxation. The Culés still maintain the 11-point gap with Real Madrid and Carlo Ancelotti’s side have decided to make a clean sheet in the League. The whites are no longer there and are not expected and that means that Barca have been able to relax for an outcome in which there is no longer any uncertainty. Barça will be champions, there is no doubt about that, and against Rayo we could see a group that has lost some of its motivation for a final stretch where everything is decided.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
