“As useful as a plumber on a Titanic”, “It was nice while it lasted” - Barcelona fans want 27-year-old sold after poor performance in draw

Barcelona failed to beat Valencia at the Mestalla

Barcelona stumbled once more in La Liga as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Valencia in their meeting at the Mestalla on Saturday. La Blaugrana are now winless in three matches across all competitions and are six points off the pace, despite having played a game more.

Valencia have struggled for most of the 2023-24 season and were battling in mid-table before the visit of champions Barcelona. Xavi's side looked better than Valencia but were kept out by an inspired performance from Giorgi Mamardashvili between the sticks for the home side.

The home side were without captain Jose Gaya for the encounter as he remains injured, while Xavi opted against playing Andreas Christensen. The Blaugrana could only play out a draw in their visit to Valencia, and the result left them six points behind neighbours Girona.

Barcelona fans were left disappointed with the result of the match, and they took to X (formerly Twitter) to air their grievances, especially at forward Raphinha. La Blaugrana have now lost two and drawn one of their last three games, making the fans unhappy.

"It was nice while it lasted Raphinha," one fan wrote.

Raphinha had a game to forget against Valencia

See more reactions below:

Raphinha had a game to forget for Barcelona

Fans comment on Raphinha's performance against Valencia

Raphinha was guilty of missing clear-cut chances for his side, contributing to their failure to win against Valencia. The Brazilian forward is yet to find his best form for the side this season, with just two goals to his name.

Xavi under increasing pressure at Barcelona

After his side lost to Royal Antwerp in the UEFA Champions League, La Blaugrana manager Xavi expressed his disappointment at the fickle nature of the media. His side had lost two consecutive matches after a win over Atletico Madrid, which was praised as a statement result.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta and the rest of the club's board retain complete trust in Xavi and are putting him under no pressure. The media and fans, however, are beginning to ask sustained questions of the competence of the manager.

Valencia secured a point in front of their fans thanks to a fine strike from Hugo Guillamon in the second half. Joao Felix had already given the visitors the lead earlier in the match, but they could not hold onto it.

Xavi and his team have enough time to turn things around in this season, which has not reached its halfway stage. They will look to retain the league title and challenge for European honours, as well, in the UEFA Champions League.

Edited by Pritha Ghosh