After a promising run of games earlier in the season, FC Barcelona are now once again struggling on the pitch. The five-goal wins against Real Betis and Royal Antwerp were highly encouraging as the new arrivals showed their capabilities, and everything indicated that the Catalans have a great season ahead.
However, the team has not been able to sustain that form in later matches, and the last two games have been particularly poor.
The Catalans got a win against Real Sociedad through a goal in the very last minutes of the games, while they faced a defeat at the hands of Shakhtar Donetsk last night in the Champions League as they were well below par offensively.
Xavi waiting for the international break
According to SPORT, Xavi is both sad and angry with this situation and believes his team is suffering from a mental block. Thus, Barcelona is now aiming to give their best in the upcoming match against Alaves to get a positive result and then come back with a changed mentality after the international break.
This international break will not only allow the players to be in a different environment and get a reset but also provide time to the coaching staff to come up with solutions to the team’s problems.
Xavi will contemplate on changes in the team
Last season, Xavi came up with the innovation of playing four midfielders, which ultimately helped him win his first league title with Barcelona. In the upcoming break, he will again brainstorm with his assistants to come up with another innovative plan that can solve the team’s problems.
Improvements in the attack are urgently needed, and Barcelona need to work to open the field better and get more players between the lines. Currently, as many as five players can be seen playing at the same height, which makes it easier for the opposition to defend.
Changes in the defense will also be under consideration, with the major decision to be made on whether the team should continue to rely on two center-backs or go with three in order to minimize the threat on their goal.
Last season, Christensen, Araujo, and Kounde kept the best defensive numbers in the league, but the inclusion of Cancelo and Balde this season has led to a greater goal threat for Barcelona. Work also needs to be done to improve the chemistry between these two fullbacks.
