Xavi asks Barcelona fans for ‘patience’ after Rayo Vallecano draw

Barcelona head coach Xavi asked the fans for “patience” after his side were held to a goalless draw against Rayo Vallecano in the opening match of their LaLiga campaign.

The hosts dominated possession but were wasteful in the final third, hitting the target with just six of their 21 attempts on goal , though they did see two efforts chalked off by the linesman’s flag.

It extends Barcelona’s barren streak in LaLiga to three games without a goal or win, stretching back to the end of last season – the first time the club have had such a sequence since October 2003.

After weeks of uncertainty, the club were able to register new recruits Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Andreas Christensen and Franck Kessie, all of whom made their debuts in the draw, but the tame performance shows plenty of work is still to come.

Barca are yet to register Jules Kounde, signed from Sevilla, and continue to be linked with further additions before the transfer window closes on September 1 – with Xavi pleading with fans to trust in the club’s process.