Xavi Punishes Barcelona Squad After Lacklustre Draw With Espanyol

• Barcelona drew with Espanyol in a heated derby that saw 14 cards shown including two reds
• Xavi Hernandez was unhappy with his team's performance and meted out some punishment
• The La Liga leaders will next turn their attention to their Copa del Rey tie against CF Intercity

Barcelona are still on top of the La Liga table, but Xavi is not happy with their most recent performance.

La Blaugrana drew 1-1 with Espanyol in a tense Catalan derby to lead Real Madrid on goal difference alone at the top of the table.

As noted by Eurosport, Barca took an early lead through Marcos Alonso, with the Spaniard gifting the opposition a penalty late in the game to give them a share of the spoils.

The game was a heated affair which saw both teams finish with just ten men on the field. A total of 14 cards were dished out during the clash, including two red cards.

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Even though Barca didn't lose, Xavi was less than impressed with the team's showing. Football Espana reported that he decided to punish his side.

The team were due to have the day off on New Year's Day, but the Spanish boss forced them to attend an extra training session.

Xavi hopes the training will benefit the team, as they prepare for a Copa del Rey clash against CF Intercity on Wednesday, January 4.

Barcelona fans angry at Xavi

Xavi has received some criticism from Barcelona fans, following his decision to start Marcos Alonso in the club’s local derby against Espanyol.

Alonso was set to play in a four-man defence that included Andreas Christensen, Sergi Roberto and Jordi Alba, Sports Brief reported.

Fans took to social media to express their displeasure at the Barcelona manager, following the team announcement by the club on Twitter.

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Barcelona honours Lewandowski and Gavi

Barcelona fans had something to celebrate before the club’s La Liga derby against Espanyol, after Robert Lewandowski and Gavi presented awards at Camp Nou.

The Polish captain won the 2022 Gerd Müller Award as the world’s best striker, while the young Spaniard was voted the best young player during the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris.

Both Lewandowski and Gavi showed off their awards in front of a packed Camp Nou crowd, before playing out a disappointing 1-1 draw against their Catalan derby rivals.