Barcelona can’t ‘go to sleep’ in LaLiga stretch run

Xavi Hernandez warned Barcelona not to fall asleep in the title race after being held to a second successive goalless draw in LaLiga at Getafe on Sunday.

Raphinha and Alejandro Balde both hit the post in the first half as Barca followed up last week’s stalemate against Girona with more dropped points in the league.

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They remain 11 points clear of Real Madrid at the top with nine games to go but, with in-form Atletico Madrid to come at Spotify Camp Nou next week, Xavi says his team need to get back on track quickly.

“We are not in our best form of the season, in terms of performances or results,” he said after the Getafe draw. “We tried, but we were too sluggish. We are having a good season in LaLiga, but we can’t go to sleep now. We have important games coming up.”

After Atletico, Barca travel to Rayo Vallecano, where they were beaten last season, and then host Real Betis and Copa del Rey finalists Osasuna as they attempt to win LaLiga for the first time since 2019.

A lack of goals has slowed them down in recent weeks. Xavi’s side have failed to score in each of their last three games in all competitions and have not found the net in 290 minutes in total.

The Barca coach complained that the pitch at Getafe’s Coliseum Alfonso Perez stadium and the afternoon kick-off did not help his team’s cause on Sunday.

“The state of the pitch affected us, but we expected it,” he added. “We trained on a dry pitch in Barcelona on Saturday to prepare.

“I get criticised a lot for [talking about the surface], but it is difficult to play here and it is not good for the spectacle.

“The ball gets stuck, it’s even bad for Getafe. It’s fundamental that the pitch is in good condition.

“We are [also] used to playing evenings without the sun, that’s clear, but they are not excuses and we have to get back on track now.”

Getafe coach Quique Sanchez Flores laughed off Xavi’s comments about the pitch after his side moved four points clear of the relegation zone.

“I am not going to get into all that,” he said. “We were not playing on clay. The grass is lovely and it’s the same for both teams.

“[At Camp Nou], they leave it short and quick for the way they play. We do what’s best for us. We haven’t done anything outside of the rules.”

Asked about Xavi’s complaint about the kickoff time, Sanchez Flores joked he would suggest “Nivea or after sun” for his Barcelona counterpart.

Getafe now face potential season-defining games against fellow relegation candidates Mallorca, Almeria and Espanyol, while Barca turn their attention to Atletico,

Xavi hopes to recover some of his injured players for that game. None of Andreas Christensen, Frenkie de Jong, Pedri or Ousmane Dembele have played since the international break, while Sergi Roberto went off with a knock against Getafe.

“We should have two or three players back next week,” Xavi said. “Missing players is not an excuse [for the draw], though, because we have a good squad.”