Barcelona were able to swing back to winning ways last night thanks to a narrow and hard-fought 1-0 victory over RCD Mallorca.
It was not the most convincing performance from the Catalans, as Xavi Hernandez himself admitted in the post-match presser.
But one statement from Xavi that did strike the minds of Barcelona fans is when the Spaniard admitted that Barcelona are playing better after his announcement to leave the club at the end of the season.
Barcelona’s form since Xavi’s announcement
Xavi announced he will be leaving Barcelona at the end of January. Since then, the Blaugrana have played seven matches in La Liga.
Out of those seven matches, Barça have won five and have drawn twice, claiming 17 of the possible 21 points available. Barcelona are also unbeaten during this period.
Such numbers do underscore the impact Xavi’s announcement has made on the team. It was reported earlier in the season that many players were not too happy with the coach’s departure.
In a way, Xavi’s announcement has made the team more cohesive, which is evident in the performances of players such as Andreas Christensen, Robert Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal, among others.
A boost ahead of Napoli game
Barcelona’s exceptional form since Xavi’s announcement has only been limited to La Liga, however.
In the Champions League, the Catalans were unable to secure a victory over Napoli in the first leg. The two teams drew 1-1 in Naples, meaning Barç must secure a victory when the Partenopei travel to the city next week.
Barcelona, though, will hope that the post-Xavi announcement form will translate into good performances in the Champions League as well.
Although Barcelona have refused to give up the title race, the UCL appears to be the only realistic avenue for the club to win silverware. Hence, the Blaugrana should be determined to perform well in these knockout matches and give Xavi a proper send-off come May.
