Wednesday's loss in Vallecas prevented Barcelona from overtaking Real Madrid at the top of LaLiga by 14 points.
Xavi claimed that there were "no excuses" for Barcelona's pathetic 2-1 loss to Rayo Vallecano, which prevented the Blaugrana from extending their lead over the competition's leaders to 14 points.
In the upcoming weeks, Barca seemed set to end their four-year wait for the league championship, and Real Madrid's 4-2 loss to Girona on Tuesday provided them the chance to edge farther ahead.
However, Rayo earned their victory thanks to goals from Alvaro Garcia and Fran Garcia, with Robert Lewandowski's late volley serving as little more than a consolation.
Barca has only dropped three games in the league all year, but the Blaugrana have only taken five of the last 12 points available to them in LaLiga, making Xavi regret a missed chance.
"We didn't play well, and we didn't feel at ease. They prevented us from playing because they were so aggressive and intense, according to Xavi.
"We misused long passes and lacked game knowledge. There are no justifications; Rayo earned the victory.
"We fought bravely until the bitter end, but they earned the win. There is only one game remaining, and we have a lead.
"We need to consider Saturday. The players are being told that the league has not yet been won. Winning this league is expensive, and every away game is a battle.
"This loss makes us unhappy and depressed. We are going disappointed today because it was a great opportunity.
Barca has now lost consecutive matches in Vallecas for just the second time in club history, also happening in December 2002, after losing in their most recent league trip to Rayo in October 2021.
Ronald Araujo, a defender for the home team, asserted that Rayo deserved to win. They performed well.
"We weren't up to it in the first half, but we still have a good points lead. Currently, we have two games at home that we must win.
The next game for Barca is against Real Betis at Camp Nou on Saturday. Barca is currently leading LaLiga by 11 points over Real Madrid and needs a maximum of 11 more points to win the championship.
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