Xavi hunting for Lewandowski supply-line in vital week

Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez is searching for answers to that problem, with his team's form dipping at just the wrong moment, as they welcome Inter Milan and then face Real Madrid in the Clasico this week.

The Italian side visit Camp Nou on Wednesday in a near life-or-death Champions League clash, before Barca visit the Santiago Bernabeu in a battle to move clear at the top of La Liga.

Coinciding with the team's struggles, reflected by a 1-0 defeat at Inter last week and a shaky 1-0 win over Celta Vigo on Sunday, has been Lewandowski's goal-rush drying up.

After netting in six consecutive La Liga games, the Polish striker could not continue the streak against Celta, having been shut out at the San Siro as Inter ganged up to stop him.

"We've not been in our best moment since the international break," said Xavi on Sunday. "Three weeks ago we were flying, and now we're not, we have to improve."

Lewandowski's goals -- nine in La Liga, making him the division's top scorer - have helped Barcelona move top of the table for the first time since June 2020.

The Catalans are unbeaten in the Spanish top flight, but it's a different story in Europe. Successive defeats on the road to  Bayern Munich and Inter leave them in desperate need of a win on Wednesday.

Perhaps the worrying thing is Lewandowski has not been missing chances in the past three matches, which might have been a temporary problem, his team-mates have not been creating them.

The Polish forward's accurate finish earned Barcelona a 1-0 win over Mallorca on October 1, but it was a chance he created himself. He has barely had a sniff of goal in the subsequent two games.

"He was uncomfortable in the second half (against Celta) but so was the whole team," said Xavi. "We have to