Barcelona’s trip down the coast to face Valencia in La Liga on Saturday has taken on a new dimension following their midweek Champions League defeat by Royal Antwerp.

The Catalans still topped Group H but it was a chastening end to their group-stage campaign.

Coming on the back of a 4-2 hammering at league leaders Girona last week, there is the unmistakeable sound of knives being sharpened for coach Xavi Hernandez.

“Xavi’s team does not have a game pattern,” howled the Catalan newspaper Sport, normally a diehard cheerleader for Barcelona.

“It is disoriented, the players constantly make childish mistakes and, on top of that, they are vulnerable in defence. In other words, nothing works. Nothing at all.”

Read the full story on the Times of Malta sports website...

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