Barcelona manager Xavi has urged his players to “cheer up” and play their upcoming games with more confidence. The Spanish tactician’s comments came after Barca fell to an embarrassing 3-2 defeat to Champions League Group H rivals Royal Antwerp in Belgium on Wednesday night (December 13).
Five-time European champions Barcelona were outplayed by the Belgian underdogs on Wednesday. The hosts had more shots on target (5 to 3), created more big chances (4 to 2), and ended the game with a higher xG than Xavi’s boys (1.67 to 1.13). Had Barca beaten Antwerp on Matchday 6, the Belgian side would have ended the 2023-24 Champions League campaign without a single point under their belt.
Xavi Admits Barcelona Are Not Confident Right Now
The defeat on Wednesday marked Barca’s second setback on the bounce. Their previous defeat, a 4-2 defeat at home to Girona, came in La Liga on Sunday (December 10). Alarms bells have started to ring in Catalonia, and Xavi has demanded to see more confidence from his players.
In his post-match press conference, Xavi said (via GOAL):
“I don’t like to criticize my players. I don’t think it’s positive, but they have to cheer up. They have more than what they are showing. Again, we had some important individual mistakes here tonight. Last Sunday we played a good game. Tonight, the feeling is not good. It’s a matter of confidence.
“The coaching staff is giving the players full confidence. We have rotated and given a chance to players. Now it’s a matter of being inspired, and right now we’re not. Barcelona’s shirt has a lot of weight, there’s added pressure, and players need to deal with it.”
Currently on a two-game losing streak, Barcelona will look to return to winning ways when they take on Valencia in La Liga on Saturday night (December 16).
Oriol Romeu Had A Night To Forget Against Antwerp
Barcelona midfielder Oriol Romeu was arguably the worst player on the pitch on Wednesday night, making two mistakes that cost his side dearly. In the second minute, Romeu’s attempted pass to Andreas Christensen was easily intercepted by Arthur Vermeeren. The central midfielder then put away his shot quickly, finding the roof of Barcelona’s net. In the 56th minute, Romeu played a part in another Antwerp goal. He lost the ball to Alhassan Yusuf inside the final third, allowing the midfielder to set up Vincent Janssen for an easy finish.
The 32-year-old was also dribbled past twice and lost four of six duels before being hooked in the 60th minute.
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