El Clásico is Xavi’s last stand for Barcelona

Must-win game

After such a crushing defeat against Paris Saint-Germain earlier in the week, Xavi is going to find it difficult to raise the morale of a group of players that are set to end the season with nothing to show for their efforts.

El Clásico should be the one game where players from both sides need no extra motivation, but the Blaugranes are clearly lacking in that department as their performance once Ronald Araujo was sent off against PSG shows.

There’s no ‘elite mentality’ other than perhaps from Ilkay Gundogan and one or two others, so when the tide turns, there’s no backbone from the squad to rise up against the odds and grind out a result.

Real Madrid have hardly been flying in some games themselves, but they can generally be relied upon to dig in and ride their luck.

At the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday, Xavi simply has to do his best work of the season so far and ensure his charges settle for nothing less than the three points that would just about keep title hopes alive for the Catalans.

It might be a forlorn chase as there’s little chance of Los Blancos dropping another five points in the games that remain, however, whilst there’s even a glimmer of hope, Xavi and the squad must give everything.

There will be a full complement of players to choose from apart from long-term injury absentees, Gavi and Alejandro Balde.

Though none are playing for their places at this late stage of the campaign, they have a duty to all culers to put up a spirited fight.

This is Xavi’s final opportunity to show that he is the man for the big occasion. That he can outfox tacticians with much more experience than he. That his bravery of selection pays handsome dividends.

After a decent enough season in 2022/23, the current campaign has been one of continued disappointment and an inability from the coach to guide his side to victory in the biggest games.

He simply cannot afford to do that again this coming weekend.

Winning El Clasico and getting one over on the eternal enemy is all culers have left to celebrate in this most unusual of seasons.

It would also be Xavi’s last hurrah as he gets ready to depart the scene in a few weeks’ time.