Barcelona are missing that killer instinct in Europe
Barça are not yet at the level to compete with the big boys. Their elimination at the hands of Manchester United, a tie in which they did not win either of the two games, is a demonstration that this Barça team still has a long way to go, they do not even have the personality to face this type of stronger opponent than those they meet in the Spanish league.
It's one thing to compete at home and another to go for Europe. The results are lethal. In their last 23 games in Europe, Barça have won six, drawn seven and lost ten. With Xavi, it's the same: four wins, six draws and six European defeats.
It is true that the team gave their best against Manchester United, but details end up being key in this type of match and Barça have not yet done enough to make the coin fall on their side. At the first hurdle in the Champions League, out; at the first hurdle in the Europa League, out again.
A major setback considering the investment made this season, with Barça being one of the teams that has spent the most on signings in the last year. The club has invested heavily but still lacks match-defining players to face stronger defences.
There is another aspect to consider. In Spain, Barça scores a goal and goes to sleep. Sometimes they suffer, sometimes they don't but they usually win. At Old Trafford they scored and then fell asleep in the second half. What happened? Just that Manchester United is not just any La Liga rival.
You have to "click" to go and overwhelm your opponent, to kill games, to score, something that Barça don't do no matter how much they say they are the most offensive team in Europe after City. It may be the most offensive but it is not the most voracious. And this means taking another step towards acquiring a winning mentality. Barça are getting there but they still have a way to go.
Being knocked out of European competition in February is hard to take for Barça, who saw their early lead come back at Old Trafford.
Barcelona will arrive in March eliminated from all European competitions, something that has not happened for 24 years (in the 1998-99 season they received their European KO in December).
The faces of the players, and of Xavi himself, were a poem, a symptom of the reality that Barça have found themselves in.
