"They lack that a bit" - Legendary manager pinpoints Barcelona's glaring weakness under Xavi
Legendary Spanish manager Vincent del Bosque has pin-pointed one glaring weakness Xavi's Barcelona faces amid their struggles this season. The former Spain coach reckons that the current Barca side lacks the ability to open up the game.
Xavi got Barcelona's fans elated when he took over from Ronald Koeman midway through the 2021-22 campaign and produced some spectacular performances, notably beating Real Madrid 4-0 in El Clasico that season. The Spaniard further boosted his reputation after leading the club to claim the Liga title and the Spanish Super Cup last term.
However, things don't seem to be aligning for the club this term. They've experienced a mixed start to the campaign, with their level of performance leaving more questions than answers so far.
Xavi's Barcelona have come under heavy criticism after winning just one of their last three games across all competitions. They lost the recent El Clasico to Real Madrid as well as the Champions League clash with Shakhtar Donetsk in midweek. Barca were only lucky to beat Real Sociedad 1-0 last weekend.
Commenting on the Blaugrana's struggles, Vincent del Bosque said that Xavi's side lack the cutting edge to take down opposition teams unlike what the Catalan giants used to be known for some years back.
The 2010 World Cup-winning manager explained that the Blaugrana are struggling to open up the game against low blocks.
"He's just off the back of winning a league," Del Bosque told Cadena SER. "The big teams always play against teams sitting deep with very few spaces. Barcelona have always had a characteristic identity of opening the game up and they lack that a bit."
How Xavi's Barcelona have fared so far this season
As it stands, Xavi's Barcelona occupy the third position in the Liga table with 27 points in 11 games, two points behind second-placed Real Madrid and three points behind leaders Girona. They've won eight, drawn three and lost one of their fixtures, scoring 24 goals and conceding 12 in the process.
Despite losing 1-0 to Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League in midweek, Xavi's men still have a decent chance to progress into the next round.
They currently top the table in Group H with nine points in four games and will book a spot in the knockout phase if they win their remaining two group-stage games. However, the Catalan giants will need to up their performances if they want to go far in the Champions League this season.