Xavi demands Barcelona improvement after goalless draw with Getafe extends minor slump

La Liga leaders fail to score for third straight game as Real Madrid close gap to 11 points

Robert Lewandowski and Barcelona drew a blank for a third straight game in the goalless draw at Getafe. Reuters

Barcelona manager Xavi has demanded immediate improvement from his team after Sunday's goalless draw against Getafe extended a minor slump for the runaway La Liga leaders.

Barca’s winless, and scoreless, run reached three games after the stalemate at Coliseum Alfonso Perez, allowing second-place Real Madrid to cut into their lead again. The Catalan club still hold an 11-point advantage over Madrid with nine games to go.

Madrid, mostly focused on the Champions League and the Copa del Rey, won 2-0 at Cadiz on Saturday.

“We have to start playing better again, we have to be more effective,” Xavi said. “We earned a point that is not that bad, but we have to improve our game. This is not over yet.”

The one positive for Barca was a 22nd clean sheet of the season in the top flight, with Getafe, 15th, not creating much danger.

"Here you suffer, because the grass is high, the usual tricks, so it's hard, the clear chances you have, you have to put them away," Barca goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen told DAZN. "It's a dry pitch, so it's difficult. We did things differently to normal."

Xavi echoed Ter Stegen's complaint that the low quality of the pitch played a part in the result, but said Barca could not hide behind it.

"It's not an excuse, we weren't accurate, we made chances but we could not finish them," said Xavi. "But yes, the grass did hurt us, the ball didn't run."

Xavi's side are still firm favourites to lift the title for the first time since 2019, but should they stumble at home against Atletico Madrid next weekend, doubts could creep in.

Getafe are four points above the drop zone, after Valencia, 18th, lost to Sevilla at Mestalla.

Sevilla, who welcome Manchester United for the Europa League quarter-final second leg clash next week, earned a hard-fought win over the frustrated hosts, for whom Ilaix Moriba was sent off late on.

Defender Loic Bade sent Sevilla ahead at Mestalla early in the second half, with Suso doubling the visitors' lead.

Valencia's anger grew when they were not awarded a penalty after the ball struck Fernando's hand in the area, and then later on had a spot kick award cancelled by the referee after VAR showed no foul had been committed.

The victory helped Jose Luis Mendilibar's Sevilla rise to 12th, eight points clear of the bottom three, continuing their improvement since he replaced Jorge Sampaoli at the helm in March.

Atletico stayed two points behind Real Madrid with a narrow 2-1 win over Almeria, 17th, which should have been more comfortable than it proved to be.

Antoine Griezmann headed Atletico ahead in the fifth minute when Angel Correa nodded on a corner to the back post.

Diego Simeone's side were dominant throughout, but Almeria pulled level when Leo Baptistao's shot deflected in off Jose Gimenez.

Griezmann sent the Rojiblancos ahead again before the break, finishing clinically from Yannick Carrasco's pass at the end of a fine team move for his 11th league goal.

They could not find the third and Almeria gave Atletico a few scares in the final stages, appealing for a penalty when Gimenez handled but VAR showed there was an offside.

"I think I'm at my most complete version in terms of assists and goals," Griezmann told Movistar. "I'm happy with my performances but I haven't reached my ceiling yet, I hope I can soon."

Girona, ninth, beat bottom-of-the-table Elche 2-0, leaving the stragglers 17 points from safety.