-
Xavi pinpoints 2 things Barcelona lacked in defeat to Rayo Vallecano.
After failing to extend their league lead with a 2-1 loss to Rayo Vallecano, Barcelona manager Xavi declares that every game played away from home is “war.”
Alvaro Garcia and Fran Garcia scored for the hosts to secure the victory, with Robert Lewandowski scoring a late consolation goal for Barcelona. This was only Barcelona’s third league loss this season.
Despite the loss, Barcelona still has a chance to win the La Liga title for the first time since the 2018–19 season. With eight games left, they lead Real Madrid by 11 points.
On his message to his players after the loss, Xavi said: “There is a lot left and nothing has been done. The league is not won. Every game away from home is a war. Real Madrid loses. It is a defeat that weighs us down, we have failed. It was a very good opportunity.
“It’s difficult to win this league. We can’t lack intensity, rhythm. We can’t afford it.
“La Liga is not over. That’s the problem, it’s not over. We have to generate things. El Rayo has done the things we had to do. We have not played the match that required in this height of the competition.
“[The players] have [to play with] more intensity. They want to win La Liga, but the difficulty is clear. This field required an excellent intensity and we have not had it. It’s one of the reasons for a well-deserved defeat,” said Xavi.
“They [Rayo] played a great match and deserved the win,“ Ronald Araujo added after the loss.
”We still have an 11-point lead, it’s a good advantage, and now we have two consecutive games at home and we have to win them.”
Barcelona’s next league games are against Real Betis and Osasuna at Camp Nou.