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Barcelona spurned a glorious opportunity to gain some ground on their La Liga rivals earlier today as they let slip a three-goal lead to play out a draw against Celta Vigo at the Balaidos. The Blaugrana crumbled in the second half and were bamboozled by an Iago Aspas-inspired Celta Vigo riposte.
The Catalan giants now find themselves five points away from a top-four finish and have given Xavi a series of difficult objectives this season. Barcelona produced a toothless second-half showing against Celta Vigo and squandered what should have been a match-winning lead.
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Barcelona were nearly given a shock in the opening stages as Iago Aspas came close to giving Celta Vigo the lead. The Catalans hit back immediately with Ansu Fati giving his side a crucial lead in the fifth minute of the game.
The Blaugrana were in no mood to take their foot off the gas and doubled their lead with a surprisingly impressive strike from Sergio Busquets. Celta Vigo did threaten on the counter in the first half but were unable to make the most of their chances.
Barcelona seemed in a thoroughly positive mood and piled misery on Celta Vigo before half-time with a third goal. Memphis Depay stepped up in the penalty area this time and guided his header past Dituro to give Barcelona a massive lead in the first half.
Celta Vigo started the second half with plenty of intent and forced Barcelona back into their own half. The Galicians were finally rewarded for their efforts with talismanic striker Iago Aspas pulling a goal back for the home side.
Nolito gave the hosts another glimmer of hope with an excellent header against his former side to cut the deficit in half. Celta Vigo were all over Barcelona and strangled the Catalans in their own half.
Barcelona were playing for the final whistle towards the end of the game and were punished by an exceptional strike by Iago Aspas. The Catalans were left reeling at full-time and are now staring down the barrel in La Liga.
#5 Barcelona have a mentality problem
Ronald Koeman was sacked last week, so Barcelona are short of one excuse to proffer. The only explanation for today's debacle? A distinct lack of ruthlessness and a mentality that has humiliated the club time and again in recent years.
Barcelona were cruising at half-time on a comfortable three-goal cushion and managed to squander a sizeable advantage in 45 chaotic minutes of terrible football. The Catalan midfield, in particular, was almost nonchalant in its approach to the game and virtually begged the home side to take the initiative.
Celta Vigo were all over Barcelona in the second half and managed to dominate possession for large periods of the game. Barcelona completely lost the plot after conceding the first goal and typically crumbled under pressure.
#4 Sergio Busquets really should shoot more often
Sergio Busquets was at his majestic best in the first half and decided to pull a rabbit out of the hat against Celta Vigo. With Barcelona cruising with a one-goal lead after 15 minutes, the veteran midfielder opted to take a rare shot on goal.
The Barcelona midfielder applied plenty of finesse to his finish and Celta Vigo were stunned as a result. Busquets effectively passed the ball into the back of the net with an effort that would make his strikers proud.
Sergio Busquets' last goal came an astonishing 21 months ago, Based on current evidence, the midfielder has a few excellent goals in him and could take on a few additional responsibilities under Xavi.
#3 Iago Aspas dismantles Barcelona yet again
Cometh the hour, cometh the man. When Barcelona are in town, you simply cannot keep Iago Aspas quiet. The Galicians struggled to cope in the first half but the former Liverpool forward did have a few sniffs in Barcelona's penalty area. In the second half, he came alive.
Aspas was in the right place at the right time for the first goal and opened the floodgates for Celta Vigo. The inspirational striker stepped up and scored a brilliant equaliser with the final kick of the game.
Iago Aspas has now scored an astonishing nine goals in only 14 games against Barcelona. The Celta Vigo captain has tormented the Catalans in the past and has added another feather to his cap this weekend.
#2 Barcelona have produced another gem in Nico Gonzalez
The past year has been ridden with misery for Barcelona. The club has parted ways with a coach that did not suit its demands and has been on the receiving end of a fair share of humiliating results. The dark cloud that has enveloped the club currently has only one silver lining: La Masia.
With Gavi and Ansu Fati already in the first team, Barcelona have now unearthed another exceptional prospect in Nico Gonzalez. The powerful young midfielder picked up his first La Liga assist for Sergio Busquets' goal before playing an instrumental role in Barcelona's third strike.
Nico Gonzalez was unperturbed by Celta Vigo's high press and his close control and strength made him Barcelona's best player on the day. It comes as no surprise that the Catalans' fortunes suffered a significant dip after the midfielder pulled his hamstring and was taken off the pitch.
#1 Xavi has plenty of work ahead of him at Barcelona
At the start of the day, Barcelona were finally turning over a new leaf by welcoming midfield legend Xavi back to the club as their new head coach. Celta Vigo played the perfect party-pooper and showed the new manager just how susceptible his squad can be to ridiculous breakdowns.
Fragility seems to be the best word that can define Barcelona at the moment. The club's players gave up after Celta Vigo scored their first goal and refused to take the game to their opponents. Xavi comes from a Barcelona side that was accustomed to five-goal margins and will not entertain his players' excuses.
Barcelona also have medical issues to blame for their current woes, and all eyes are now on their medical team after both Ousmane Dembele and Ansu Fati suffered unfortunate relapses.
The Catalans are currently five points away from the top four and cannot afford to miss out on the Champions League next season. Xavi does have the international break to work with at the moment but will face monumental challenges in the coming weeks.
