Xavi and Barcelona will be lucky to finish in top four after disastrous run of form

Barcelona were always expected to struggle when they lost Lionel Messi last summer. But nobody could’ve predicted the slump that the club has experienced this season.

Not only have the Blaugrana been disappointing with their results, but they are also currently 18 points behind rivals Real Madrid in La Liga.

The latest low was the club’s demotion to the Europa League from the Champions League. It came after they suffered a 3-0 thrashing at the hands of a ruthless Bayern Munich side in their final group game.

It’s been one disappointing performance after another and not even the arrival of Xavi Hernandez has changed much. The former midfielder might have good plans, but the team he’s managing is just not good enough.

Barcelona winless in December

Xavi started his Barcelona tenure with an important victory against Espanyol. It was supposed to be the beginning of the team’s renaissance.

However, things have gone downhill very fast since then. The Blaugrana haven’t won a game since the start of December and their form keeps getting worse.

Last week, they were held to a 2-2 draw by Osasuna and even lost to Boca Juniors in the Diego Maradona Cup on penalties. It’s almost as if nothing has changed since Xavi took charge.

The 41-year-old’s appointment raised expectations among the Barcelona faithful. However, this is not Al Sadd and he may soon find himself overwhelmed by the task at hand if things continue this way.

Top four now more difficult for Blaugrana

It’s obvious that winning La Liga is now out of Barcelona’s reach and their next target will be to finish in the top four.

As it stands, though, the Blaugrana could even miss out on securing a Champions League place. They currently sit five points off fourth-placed Atletico Madrid.

“Abde, Gavi and Nico were extraordinary, they are propping up the team in difficult moments. The youngsters are making a difference and that is difficult to digest,” Xavi said last week, as quoted by Marca.

He further added:

"It's positive and negative because they won't always be able to perform excellently because they are young. They can't be the props, other players have to work. We all have to demand more from each other."

Barcelona’s demotion to the Europa League is no fluke. The club has simply not been good enough. They could find themselves playing in the Europa League again next season if they don’t improve sooner.