LALIGA
When was the last time Barça conceded five goals in a home game?
Xavi says he’s leaving as Barcelona boss, after a defeat to Villarreal that was the first time in decades that the club had conceded five times on home turf.
Xavi Hernández has revealed that he is to step down as Barcelona head coach at the end of the season, after his side conceded five goals in a home LaLiga game for the first time in over six decades on Saturday.
In a thrilling encounter at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, Villarreal scored twice at the death to complete a come-from-behind win, stoppage-time goals by Alexander Sorloth and José Luis Morales earning the Groguets a 5-3 victory.
Barcelona fall further behind LaLiga frontrunners
Barça’s third defeat in five in all competitions, the loss leaves the defending Spanish champions languishing 10 points off LaLiga leaders and arch rivals Real Madrid, who beat Las Palmas on Saturday.
What’s more, if second-placed Girona beat Celta Vigo to leapfrog Madrid on Sunday, the gap between Barça and the top spot will grow to 11 points, albeit the Blaugrana have a game in hand on their fellow Catalans.
Barça’s penultimate run-out in January, Saturday’s reverse against Villarreal caps a dismal month for Xavi’s men. Not only have they slipped further off the pace in the Spanish title race, but they were also thrashed 4-1 by Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup final, and were this week dumped out of the Copa del Rey quarter-finals, losing 4-2 to Athletic Club.
“The situation calls for a change of direction, and as a Barça fan, this situation cannot continue,” Xavi told reporters as he announced his planned departure in his post-match press conference. “I believe the club needs a change of dynamic.”
When did Barça last concede five at home?
A defeat that takes Barcelona’s goals-against tally to 19 in eight matches in January - 2.4 per game - the Villarreal result is one for the history books.
Before this weekend, Barça had not conceded five goals at home in a LaLiga fixture since a 5-1 defeat to Madrid back in January 1963. In all competitions, the most recent game in which the Culés shipped five on home turf was a 5-4 Spanish Super Cup loss to Real Zaragoza in August 1994.
Barça’s dire defending in 2023/24
Having last season won their 27th domestic title largely because of their watertight defence, Barça’s backline has fallen apart this term.
In 2022/23, the team conceded just 20 goals all season in LaLiga - a mean defensive record that included clean sheets in 11 of their first 13 games of the campaign. This year, by contrast, Barça have let in 29 already, in just 21 league matches.
The Catalans have conceded more goals this season than any other side in the top 11 positions in the LaLiga standings. Fifteenth-placed Real Mallorca, who are just five points clear of the drop zone having played a game more than most clubs below them, have conceded three fewer.
After Villarreal defeat, who’s up next for Barcelona?
As Barcelona’s search for Xavi’s successor begins, the five-time European champions now face a home clash against Osasuna in their final game this month.
The rescheduled matchday-20 fixture, which was postponed because of the club’s involvement in the Spanish Super Cup, takes place at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys on Wednesday 31 January, with kick-off scheduled for 1pm ET/10am PT.
Viewers in the United States will be able to watch Barça vs Osasuna on ESPN+ and ESPN Deportes.
You can stream Barcelona vs Osasuna live on fuboTV, which offers a free trial.
Get more news on the Spanish league in our dedicated LaLiga section.