Late goals and narrow wins highlight the array of problems at Barcelona

Those watching the action unfold at Vallecas, as Barcelona drew 1-1 with Rayo, were reminded again of a constant theme of the season for Xavi’s side: something isn’t working. The Catalan side have been unable to find fluidity in their play and it is extremely difficult for them to create chances despite the huge array of individual talent throughout their team.

And it’s not the first time that Barcelona have dangled one precarious leg over the edge. Disastrous first periods in games are common and in the end, in the games they have won, it has either been by a minimal margin in the final stages or a marvellous comeback has somehow saved them.

Slim wins for Xavi’s side

Xavi’s side have not won by more than one goal since the Champions League game against Royal Antwerp (5-0) - last September. Since then, all their wins, both domestic and international, have been so thin you could get a paper cut just by looking at them: Alavés (2-1), Real Sociedad (0-1), Shakhtar (2-1), Athletic (1-0), Porto (0-1), Sevilla (1-0) and Celta (3-2).

Shall we carry on? This season, Barcelona are also setting their alarm clocks late and they have often been forced to swim with the water up to their necks until the final stages of various clashes. Against Rayo, it took until the 83rd minute for an own goal from Florian Lejeune to salvage a point for them, with the azulgrana now seemingly set on saving games Madrid-style, at the very last.

Barcelona have scored 15 goals in the final quarter of an hour, a significant statistic on its own. But when put together with the fact that those goals have won them 15 points from their current LaLiga total of 31, it becomes even more remarkable.

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Barça’s late goals have saved them this season

The game against Cádiz was won by two goals in the dying embers, with Pedri (82) and Ferran (90+4) scoring late on to avoid a historical embarrassment. The same thing happened in Pamplona, against Osasuna, where Lewandowski’s 92nd minute winner gave them three crucial points. Against Celta is was even more dramatic, with the side coming back from 2-0 down to win 2-3, all the goals being scored after 81 minutes had ticked by on the clock.

Against Mallorca, Fermín got the goal to make things 2-2 on the scoreboard with 15 minutes to go and against Sevilla it took a Sergio Ramos own goal on 76 minutes to put Barça ahead. They carried on this trend against Granada and grabbed a draw with Sergi Roberto’s effort five minutes from time; it was Marc Guiu who got the headlines with a late debut goal against Athletic and Araújo’s header on 92 against Real Sociedad was scored in what was probably the most one-sided game of the season, and it wasn’t Barça who dominated.

There’s something wrong at the club, and Xavi knows it. He talked about ‘a step backwards’ as they lost to Shakhtar in the UEFA Champions League, something with puts their place in the group at risk; with the huge tie against Porto coming up, things need to turn around quickly.