Barcelona are one of the most formidable teams in the history of Spanish soccer. The Blaugrana have snagged 27 La Liga titles over the years, with only Real Madrid winning more at 35. They have also won a record 31 Copas del Rey and 14 Supercopas de Espana, emerging as the most dominant team in Spanish cup competitions.
Xavi men kicked off the 2023-24 season as favorites to defend their La Liga crown as well as maintain their stranglehold in Copa del Rey and Supercopa de Espana. Unfortunately for Cules, the story has not panned out that way.
Barcelona Under Massive Pressure After Supercopa De Espana Defeat
The Blaugrana have been below par in the La Liga race this season. They have only amassed 41 points from 19 La Liga matches, slipping to fourth place in the Spanish top-flight standings. Barca are currently sitting eight points behind league leaders Girona, albeit with a game in hand. Arch-rivals Real Madrid, meanwhile, are in second place in La Liga, sitting a point behind Girona with a game in hand.
With title hopes dwindling, Barcelona were expected to put on a memorable show in the Supercopa de Espana. They dispatched Osasuna swiftly in the semi-finals, setting up a mouth-watering clash with Real Madrid. A spirited Xavi called on his players to dominate their opponents like in last year’s Supercopa final, in which Barcelona secured a 3-1 victory.
Los Blancos, however, were prepared for the onslaught and tore Barca apart in counter-attacks. The game ended 4-1 in favor of the All-Whites, with Vinicius Jr. leading the way with a brilliant hat-trick.
Having been thoroughly outclassed in the Spanish Supercup, Barcelona must now divert all their attention to the Copa del Rey, knowing it is realistically their only hope of avoiding a trophyless season.
Unionistas de Salamanca Challenge Could Be Tricky For Barca
On paper, Unionistas de Salamanca cannot even dream of taking the fight to one of the most formidable teams in Europe. However, given Barca’s poor run and the condition of the pitch at Campo de Futbol Reina Sofia, an upset cannot be ruled out in the Copa del Rey Round of 16.
According to Spanish outlet Sport (via Football-Espana), there has been consistent rainfall in Salamanca over the past few days and it will continue until Thursday (January 18). Hermaflor, the company that looks after the pitch at Campo de Futbol Reina Sofia, believes the pitch is capable of hosting the Copa del Rey clash between Barcelona and Unionistas but has warned that it might be a little “unstable.” The type of passing soccer Barca play requires a world-class surface, meaning there is a chance the visitors might not be able to plant their best foot forward on Thursday.
With pressure mounting on Xavi and Co. to step up and deliver, it will be interesting to see if they can manage to cope with the imperfections and come out swinging on the other side this week.
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