Xavi frustrated by lack of Barcelona effectiveness in El Clasico loss

Barcelona head coach Xavi claimed his team lacked effectiveness in front of goal as they slipped to an El Clasico defeat to  Real Madrid.

Los Blancos made the trip to Catalonia looking to extend their lead at the top of the La Liga table and they return to the capital with a four point advantage over their old rivals.

Despite Xavi steering Barcelona to the league title last season, the pattern of the game was a mirror of the two team’s styles, with Real Madrid’s experience and patience proving to be crucial.

Barcelona goal keeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen admitted Real Madrid’s killer edge was the pivotal factor in the final result as Jude Bellingham’s late double cliched an away win.

Xavi was frustrated at full time but he admitted his players needed too many chances to secure a win in such a high pressure match.

“I think we dominated for 60 minutes. But, we need 5 or 6 chances to score and with three they scored two. We lacked effectiveness”, as per reports from Marca.

“They made us suffer in the end, but honestly, if anyone looked likely to win the game, it was us.

“Even a draw would not reflect what we saw on the pitch as we played to win. It’s hard, but our goal is to win the league and this isn’t over.”