The match against Villareal at La Cerámica last night was special, not only because of the grit and fighting spirit Xavi and his team showed to keep their winning momentum going, but also because of the morale boost it provided to the club’s players and La Blaugrana fans.
FC Barcelona are having an incredible season, as they currently sit atop the La Liga charts, and also won the Supercopa de Espana last month. Their domination of La Liga seems to be back after some years, as Xavi and his team have now won 11 matches in a row in all competitions, thus equaling the record set by the legendary Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona side.
Equaling a Pep Guardiola record after poor performances in the previous few seasons would definitely go on to instill confidence in the players, especially the younger ones. The 11-point gap over Real Madrid in the La Liga table that the victory against Quique Setién’s Yellow Submarine provided was the cherry on top, that would make the final push towards the title a little bit easier.
However, while Pep Guardiola’s record has been equaled, surpassing this record would be a huge task for Xavi and his team. This is because FC Barcelona next face Manchester United in the Europa League round of 32 tie this Thursday night, which will be anything but easy to win.
Although Manchester United have also been well beneath the quality that the football world expects of them in recent years, they have been on a resurgent trajectory since the appointment of Erik ten Hag, and are a team to beat this year. This, compounded by FC Barcelona’s struggles in European competitions in recent years, makes this match a defining tie for FC Barcelona’s season.
