Following the loan signings of João Cancelo and João Félix, Barça blew Real Betis and Royal Antwerp away in the space of four days in September, winning both matches 5-0. The way Barça played, with Cancelo stepping into midfield, Felix linking with Lewandowski and quick, one-touch positional play across the pitch “is the path to follow,” Xavi said.
Worst moments
Despite success domestically and impressive wins over 14-time European champions Madrid, Barça have still struggled in Europe. Capitulations in recent years against Roma, Liverpool and Bayern Munich have left their mark, and it is in the Champions League where Xavi’s side have suffered their bleakest nights.
A goalless draw at Camp Nou against Benfica in Xavi’s first Champions League game in charge left them with a mountain to climb going to Munich in 2021. Needing a win to get through to the knockout rounds, they capitulated, losing 3-0. Xavi labelled that defeat “rock bottom” but it was elimination a year later, when he had been given time to put his mark on the side, that stung more.
“The 3-0 loss at home to Bayern last season,” Xavi told ESPN when asked for the worst game of the 99 he has overseen. “It was a tough defeat, the worst because it was the night we were knocked out. We either weren’t able to or didn’t know how to compete in the necessary way.
“Bayern have been my toughest opponent. It’s always difficult to play against them. And, of course, Madrid. They are always a hard side to face whatever the circumstances because of who they are and because of everything that surrounds a Clásico.”
That Bayern defeat had already been preceded by some disappointing European nights: a 2-0 loss in Munich, a 1-0 defeat to Inter Milan and a 3-3 draw at home to the Italians, which was actually the result which effectively ended Barça’s Champions League campaign that season. A Europa League exit followed at the hands of Manchester United, although elimination in the same competition to Eintracht Frankfurt — when the German team’s supporters took over Camp Nou, snapping up over 20,000 tickets in the home end and prompting an internal club investigation — was arguably more painful.
“The problem was we were considered favourites going into it,” Xavi said of Barça’s Europa League struggles. “I don’t think we fully believed that we were playing in that competition. It is hard to compete in a tournament that a lot of Barca fans and people, in general, don’t care much about.”
The 4-0 Copa del Rey semifinal reverse to Madrid in April at Camp Nou, after winning the first leg 1-0, was minimised due to the number of players missing for the game and the fact that the LaLiga title was imminent, but it was a result that sewed just a few doubts about whether Barça really were back.
