The Blaugrana suffered El Clasico heartbreak after a late Sergio Ramos header cancelled out what looked to be a Luis Suarez winner. The 1-1 draw meant Luis Enrique’s side have now won just three games from seven at home, failing to score more than once in five of those fixtures.
However, Xavi is adamant his former club will turn it around, pointing to the crucial return from injury of Andres Iniesta as a source for optimism.
“In my time at Barcelona we’ve had far more testing circumstances than this. It’s only week 14,” Xavi told Sport360 at the SoccerEx Forum in Doha on Monday.
“For sure at home, the amount of points gained aren’t what we are used to and it hasn’t been working.
“Madrid are very strong indeed but it’s only six points and there’s definitely still time to correct it. I don’t know what the problem is, in terms of drawing at home instead of winning, but it will be fixed.
“When [Iniesta] came on he slowed the game down and made all the right options. He gave confidence and changed the game and made it 30 spectacular minutes for Barcelona.”
Barca pair Andre Gomes and Ivan Rakitic came in for criticism on Saturday after Luka Modric was able to tip the midfield battle in Real’s favour.
An inability to dominant the middle of the park without Iniesta has been highlighted as a factor in Barca’s struggles this season, with suggestions Enrique has deviated away from the 4-3-3 which served them, and in particular Lionel Messi, so well. But Xavi believes Enrique is still applying the Barca philosophy and backed the likes of €50 million [Dh197m] summer-buy Gomes to come good.
“I don’t think that Barcelona has lost its style, that’s not the case,” added the 36-year-old Al Sadd midfielder, who left Barca in 2015.
“The 4-3-3 hasn’t changed at all nor have the concepts Luis Enrique is applying in training or in matches. They are staying true to the football club’s philosophy over the last 15-20 years. Messi is the best player ever so he is given a little bit of liberty to interpret the play and seek the right spaces.
“When you come to Barcelona as a new player it’s a system which is difficult to learn and it takes time and patience to adapt to.
“Both Gomes and [Paco] Alcacer are doing well but I’ve seen players have a quiet first season and then just explode once they understand the system.
“Rakitic, too, has demonstrated time and time again that he is at least the right level for Barcelona.”
