Xavi suffers fresh blow as three Barcelona stars are suspended for Cadiz clash - Reports
Barcelona put in an excellent performance against Las Palmas on March 30 but were dealt a big blow for their next La Liga clash against Cadiz two weeks later. Robert Lewandowski, Joao Cancelo, and Inigo Martinez are all suspended for the clash at the Estadio Nuevo Mirandilla on April 13.
Barca hosted Las Palmas in La Liga at the Olimpic Lluis Companys Stadium on Saturday. They were brilliant on the night, dominating the game with 70% possession and 14 attempts on goal, with two being on target. The visitors had eight attempts with none being on target.
Las Palmas went down to 10 men after Alvaro Valles was sent off in the 24th minute, Raphinha then scored for Barcelona in the 59th minute to help them to a 1-0 win. The hosts could've added to the scoring but spurned a few good chances.
While it was a positive win for Barca, they were dealt a major blow as three players are now suspended for their game against Cadiz. Lewandowski, Cancelo and Martinez picked up their respective fifth yellow cards against Las Palmas. While Martinez has featured just 19 times across competitions this season, the other two have been key players for the club.
Lewandowski has registered 20 goals and nine assists in 40 games for Barcelona this season while Cancelo has contributed four goals and four assists in 33 games.
Barcelona have now kept 5 clean sheets in a row
The Blaugrana weren't at their best defensively earlier in the season, which saw them concede many goals and also lose many points. However, they have been brilliant in recent games and kept five consecutive clean sheets in La Liga.
Manager Xavi Hernandez has been impressed with their recent defensive performances, as he said after the Las Palmas win (via fcbarcelona.com):
"We are defending very well. We regained possession a lot before the sending-off, we were very professional. The defence is key to ensure we are where we are."
Barcelona have now kept 13 clean sheets in 30 La Liga games this season and sit five points behind leaders Real Madrid, having played one more game. They have still conceded 34 goals in 30 league games, which is the joint-highest among the top eight, tied with Girona and Atletico Madrid.
For comparison, the Blaugrana had the best defensive record last season, as they won the title. They kept 26 clean sheets in 38 games and conceded just 20 goals.