Barcelona head coach Xavi admitted his side missed the chance to win their Catalan derby with Espanyol.
Espanyol made the trip across the city to face their old rivals at the Camp Nou with visiting fans restricted from entering the stadium on match day.
Marcos Alonso’s early header set Barcelona on course to extend their home winning run over Espanyol to 14 years before a late spot kick from Joselu levelled the contest.
A draw for Espanyol marks a first positive result away at Barcelona since 2009, and Xavi was frustrated at his side’s lack of killer instinct, on their return to action after the 2022 World Cup.
“I think we slowed down. The draw is our fault”, as per reports from Marca.
“We can talk about the referee and many things, but these are our mistakes. Especially, our lack of effectiveness.
“We were able to kill off the game and we didn’t. When you get so far, and you are not effective, this can happen.”
Despite dropping points, Barcelona remain as league leaders at the start of 2023, ahead of Real Madrid on goal difference.
Up next for Xavi’s charges is a midweek Copa del Rey trip to third tier side SF intercity, based in Alicante, before returning to league action away at Atletico Madrid on January 8.
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