Xavi demands Barcelona improvement after goalless draw with Getafe extends minor slump

Barcelona manager Xavi has demanded immediate improvement from his team after Sunday's goalless draw against Getafe extended a minor slump for the runaway La Liga leaders.

Barca’s winless, and scoreless, run reached three games after the stalemate at Coliseum Alfonso Perez, allowing second-place Real Madrid to cut into their lead again. The Catalan club still hold an 11-point advantage over Madrid with nine games to go.

Madrid, mostly focused on the Champions League and the Copa del Rey, won 2-0 at Cadiz on Saturday.

“We have to start playing better again, we have to be more effective,” Xavi said. “We earned a point that is not that bad, but we have to improve our game. This is not over yet.”

The one positive for Barca was a 22nd clean sheet of the season in the top flight, with Getafe, 15th, not creating much danger.

"Here you suffer, because the grass is high, the usual tricks, so it's hard, the clear chances you have, you have to put them away," Barca goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen told DAZN. "It's a dry pitch, so it's difficult. We did things differently to normal."

Xavi echoed Ter Stegen's complaint that the low quality of the pitch played a part in the result, but said Barca could not hide behind it.

"It's not an excuse, we weren't accurate, we made chances but we could not finish them," said Xavi. "But yes, the grass did hurt us, the ball didn't run."

Xavi's side are still firm favourites to lift the title for the first time since 2019, but should they stumble at home against Atletico Madrid next weekend, doubts could creep in.

Getafe are four points above the drop zone, after Valencia, 18th, lost to Sevilla at Mestalla.

Sevilla, who welcome Manchester United for the Europa League quarter-final second leg clash