BARCELONA: Barcelona’s position in L. a. Liga’s height 4 appears to be like a lot much less protected when they suffered a wonder 1-0 defeat at house to relegation-battling Cadiz on Monday. Lucas Perez’s close-range end early in the second one half of condemned Barca to a 2d consecutive defeat, at the again in their surprise go out by the hands of Eintracht Frankfurt within the Europa League on Thursday.

Barcelona stayed 2d however are degree on issues with each Sevilla in 3rd and Atletico Madrid in fourth whilst Actual Betis in 5th are handiest 3 issues at the back of. Xavi Hernandez’s workforce do have a recreation in quit the trio beneath them. However the loss way Barca have received handiest one among their final 4 fits, that victory coming by means of an injury-time winner towards Nineteenth-placed Levante.

Any hopes they’d of constructing leaders Actual Madrid really feel uncomfortable are unquestionably over, with Madrid 15 issues transparent on the height, having performed a recreation extra. “We should be self-critical,” mentioned Xavi. “We need to say issues to each and every others’ faces. That is Barca and we must be higher. At house we need to display extra starvation, extra religion, extra persona. This was once a last and we haven’t performed it like that.” Cadiz climb out of the relegation zone to sixteenth, two issues transparent of the ground 3.

The defeat via Frankfurt on Thursday was once a in particular sour tablet to swallow, given the Catalans successfully ceded their house merit via permitting greater than 20,000 away fanatics into Camp Nou. Xavi mentioned on Saturday Barca had felt “robbed in their very own house” and some of the membership’s distinguished fan teams boycotted the Cadiz recreation in protest, with the phase at the back of the purpose at one finish empty. “We’d like everybody,” mentioned Xavi. “Barca must be extra united than ever now.”

Controversy surrounded Gerard Pique on Monday too, after a record via El Confidencial mentioned the defender’s corporate, Kosmos, are to obtain €24 million for his or her section in transferring the Spanish Tremendous Cup to Saudi Arabia. Pique was once no longer concerned towards Cadiz as he had a hamstring damage. In addition to problems across the Frankfurt fanatics and Pique, Xavi reveals himself confronting the workforce’s first actual dip since he was once appointed in November.

Barcelona can ill-afford to fail to notice Champions League qualification, with the membership’s money owed in the beginning of the season amounting to greater than one thousand million euros. Cadiz must were in entrance at half-time however Perez shot large after being given a easy end via Ruben Sobrino. Ousmane Dembele had Barcelona’s absolute best probability however the Frenchman was once not able to complete off a riding run, his shot instantly at Cadiz goalkeeper Jeremias Ledesma.

Cadiz endured to create the easier possibilities and two mins into the second one half of, they took the lead. Jordi Alba misplaced the ball in midfield and Alex’s go discovered Sobrino, whose header was once parried via Marc-Andre ter Stegen, just for Perez to practice in. Alex must have put Barca out of sight however fired large from Ivan Alejo’s pull-back prior to Barcelona’s Luuk de Jong, on instead, headed instantly at Ledesma. Sergio Busquets examined Ledesma with a overdue strike from distance prior to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang volleyed instantly on the goalkeeper overdue on, Gavi not able to succeed in the rebound. – AFP