Barcelona looks to find its stride when it visits Atl?tico
MADRID (AP) - A poor run after the World Cup break has left Barcelona coach Xavi 関心d ahead of the match against Atl?tico Madrid in the Spanish league this 週末.
Barcelona visits Atl?tico on Sunday reeling from two disappointing 業績／成果s, 含むing a home draw against 競争相手 Espanyol that cost the team 単独の 所有／入手 of the league lead.
It also struggled against third-分割 club Intercity in the 一連の会議、交渉／完成する of 32 of the Copa del Rey on Wednesday, when it 放棄するd the lead three times before 結局 前進するing in extra time.
"We can´t be happy," Xavi said. "We have 欠如（する）d 有効性 both in attack and in 弁護. That worries me. 特に in attack. It can happen in 弁護, but not in attack."
To 追加する to Xavi's 関心s, he won´t be able to count on 一時停止するd 主要な striker Robert Lewandowski against Atl?tico. The league 最高の，を越す scorer, Lewandowski played against Espanyol after Barcelona 控訴，上告d his three-game 中断 from before the World Cup, but a 法廷，裁判所 on Wednesday upheld the 中断 and the Poland striker will 行方不明になる the next three league games.
"I still 港／避難所´t thought about who will be the `No. 9´ on Sunday," Xavi said.
Barcelona's Ous mane Dembele, left background, 得点する／非難する／２０s his 味方する's second goal during a Spanish Copa del Rey 一連の会議、交渉／完成する of 16 サッカー match between Intercity and Barcelona at the Ricardo Perez stadium in Alicante, Spain, Wednesday Jan. 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)
The likely 交替／補充 for Lewandowski will be Ferran Torres or Memphis Depay, who both started in the 4-3 勝利，勝つ against minnow Intercity on Wednesday. Torres has played often off the （法廷の）裁判 and いつかs as a starter, while Depay has had only a few 外見s this season.
Ansu Fati started against Espanyol and （機の）カム off the （法廷の）裁判 against Intercity to 得点する／非難する／２０ the 勝利者 in extra time. He is 始める，決める to start again on Sunday at Metropolitano Stadium.
The 1-1 draw against Espanyol left Barcelona tied on points with Real Madrid at the 最高の，を越す of the standings. The powerhouses are nine points ahead of third-placed Real Sociedad and 11 points in 前線 of fourth-placed Atl?tico, which recently ended a poor run of results from before the World Cup.
It 敗北・負かすd last-placed Elche 2-0 to end a three-game winless streak in the league before the break. It 前進するd past second-分割 Oviedo 2-0 in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday.
"We have to stop losing points in the league," said Marcos Llorente, who 得点する／非難する／２０d one of the goals against Oviedo. "We need a victory to start moving up. That Lewandowski won´t play is bad luck for them. He is a 広大な／多数の／重要な player."
Atl?tico is unbeaten at home against Barcelona since 2019. The Catalan club won 4-2 at home the last time they met in the league last year.
OTHER MATCHES
Madrid, 追跡するing Barcelona on goal difference, on Saturday visits a Villarreal squad that has won three in a 列／漕ぐ／騒動 after the World Cup and sits in seventh place.
Sociedad on Sunday will try to e xtend its winning streak to six games in all 競争s when it visits Almer?a.
運動競技の Bilbao plays at Osasuna on Monday, while Real Betis on Sunday visits Rayo Vallecano, which is coming off 排除／予選 to second-分割 team 冒険的な Gij?n in the Copa del Rey.
Sevilla, which got off to a disappointing start to its season, will try to leave the relegation zone when it hosts Getafe on Sunday.
Elche, the only team yet to 勝利，勝つ after 15 一連の会議、交渉／完成するs, hosts relegation-脅すd Celta Vigo on Friday.
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Barcelona's 長，率いる coach Xavi Hernandez gives 指示／教授／教育s to his players during a Spanish Copa del Rey 一連の会議、交渉／完成する of 16 サッカー match between Intercity and Barcelona at the Ricardo Perez stadium in Alicante, Spain, Wednesday Jan. 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)
Barcelona's Ousmane Dembele, 権利, celebrates with チーム仲間 Gavi, left, and Memphis Depay, 中心, after 得点する／非難する／２０ing his 味方する's second goal during a Spanish Copa del Rey 一連の会議、交渉／完成する of 16 サッカー match between Intercity and Barcelona at the Ricardo Perez stadium in Alicante, Spain, Wednesday Jan. 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)
Barcelona's Ronald Araujo, left, celebrates after 得点する／非難する／２０ing his 味方する's first goal during a Spanish Copa del Rey 一連の会議、交渉／完成する of 16 サッカー match between Intercity and Barcelona at the Ricardo Perez stadium in Alicante, Spain, Wednesday Jan. 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)
Barcelona's Ferran Torres, left, shoots the ball past Intercity's ツバメ Bellotti during a Spanish Copa del Rey 一連の会議、交渉／完成する of 16 サッカー match between Intercity and Barcelona at the Ricardo Perez stadium in Alicante, Spain, Wednesday Jan. 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)
Barcelona's Ferran Torres, 中心, shoots the ball past Intercity's goalkeeper Gaizka Campos, left, during a Spanish Copa del Rey 一連の会議、交渉／完成する of 16 サッカー match between Intercity and Barcelona at the Ricardo Perez stadium in Alicante, Spain, Wednesday Jan. 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)
