At the pivotal moment of the season, the Blaugrana are going through a difficult time. We were flying three weeks ago, but we're not anymore," Barcelona coach Xavi stated following the match with Celta.
The Catalans are in a slight rut following the international break just as the season is getting to the decisive moments. After the draw against Inter yesterday, the Champions League is on the line and then the first Clasico of the year comes along with the league lead hanging in the balance.
Since the internationals, the Blaugrana have won both LaLiga matches, although not with the same assurance and focus as previously, in addition to losing in Milan.
Injuries, the schedule, the excessive number of games the club has previously played, and international duties, according to Barcelona, could all be contributing factors to this modest decline in performance.
Barça Sphere examines the crucial elements to analyze the situation as it stands. Barcelona needs to perform at their peak this weekend as they play against Real Madrid in the El clasico
1. Injuries To The Defense
Injuries have struck the Blaugrana team. Sergi Roberto's minor aches and pains were the only things on the treatment table before to the break. However, during the past three weeks, there has been an increase in the number of injured players, with the defense suffering the most.
In addition to Kounde, Bellerin, and Araujo missing the last several games, Eric Garcia missed Sunday's game due to a minor physical issue that is not serious.
Even with Xavi playing three left-backs against Celta, Alba playing in his natural position, Marcos Alonso playing at left center-back, and Balde playing on the right, The Catalans have only given up one goal over the course of the three games, despite suffering at the back in several of the matches and in part because of Ter Stegen's outstanding play.
2. Lewandowski's Goal Draught
The Camp Nou audience has grown accustomed to seeing the Pole score and create opportunities every night.
He scored the game-winning goal in Mallorca, but he wasn't as effective in the first leg against Inter and against Celta as he had been at the beginning of the season. He broke a streak of six successive LaLiga games without scoring on Sunday at the Camp Nou.
Since moving to Barcelona, he has failed to find the back of the net against Rayo, Bayern Munich, Inter, and Celta, the latter two of which were played back-to-back after the break. However, he was lethal against Inter yesterday, scoring two important goals to seal the draw.
3. Team's Offensive Decline
Lewandowski's goal total has decreased, but so has that of other players as well.
The Catalans had scored 23 goals in both tournaments in the Blaugrana's eight games played before the most recent international break, roughly three goals each game on average. In contrast, they only succeeded in two of the three games they played in October, bringing the average down to 0.6. They defeated Mallorca and Celta by a solitary goal, but they fell short in Milan.
Some players aren't quite in form. There are certain players who are still very much in need of development. Among others, Ferran, Raphinha, Ansu Fati, and Dembele have not yet discovered their true self.
Additionally, Xavi needs every player to be at their best at this critical period of the season, especially in light of the numerous injuries the team has endured.
4. The Bench Has No Solutions.
The players that enter as substitutes frequently fail to change the momentum of the game or act as the spark plugs that the coach desires.
For instance, against Celta, none of the changes were able to alter the course of a poor second half. Against Mallorca and Inter, the same thing took place.
5. Lack of Concentration
On Sunday, Xavi acknowledged that they would be in trouble if they continued to play like they did in the second half of their match against Celta this week.
"We didn't play well in the second half, stopped pressing hard, and perhaps our poor performance was caused by fatigue. We've deteriorated psychologically, so you have two or three good chances to defeat us."
Similar to what he said in Mallorca: "We played well in the first half, but in the second we faltered, and we can't let that happen. We must be more ambitious and pursue the second goal."
In Milan, though, the team came into the game much later. We can tell from this that Barcelona was unable to play the full 90 minutes at a high level.
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