In a lot of ways, FC Barcelona's Champions League fixture against Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday went as expected. La Liga's reigning champion dominated in possession and in shots, and true to form, they also ruled the game in terms of passes and touches. By the time the final whistle blew, though, it was Shakhtar who came out of the game with a 1-0 victory.
Barcelona racked up 13 shots while boasting 67.6% of the ball but were not particularly clinical with those strikes. Only one of those chances was on target, and the team generated just 0.93 expected goals despite the abundance of opportunity to build a meaningful advantage during the game.
By contrast, Shaktar were incredibly efficient despite not really having much of the ball. They managed to take nine shots and put four on target, though only generated 0.82 expected goals. Their best chance of the game was arguably their goal, scored by Danylo Sikan just before halftime.
Danylo Sikan with the perfect header to finish off Shakhtar's lovely build up play against Barcelona. 🎯 pic.twitter.com/PGEOGKqLMk
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) November 7, 2023
"We have not understood what the game required. We have not attacked well. We have not defended that lateral center well and mistakes are costly," manager Xavi said following the match. "There was attitude and intensity in the second half but we couldn't get the result. The reaction has been good but insufficient. The small details are taking their toll on us."
The comparisons to Shakhtar aside, Barcelona's attacking performance is the latest in a worrying pattern in Champions League play. Xavi's side were wasteful even in their Matchday 3 win over Shaktar, when they had 19 shots and six on target but just 2.52 expected goals. On Matchday 2, they squeaked out of Porto with a 1-0 win but produced just 1.14 expected goals from 14 shots, only four of which were on target.
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Despite ranking third amongst all teams in the group stage for shots (68) and expected goals (7.66), Barcelona slide all the way to 22nd for shots on goal percentage at just 30.9%. Things are not as bad in domestic league play, but they are showing signs of similarity -- the squad are third in La Liga in the latter category at 40.2%, behind Atletico Madrid and Rayo Vallecano.
Xavi acknowledged the trend in his post-match comments on Tuesday, particularly in European competition.
"We haven't played a good game. Nothing has gone as planned. We wanted to confirm the classification but it is a clear step backwards," Xavi added. "The Champions League demands the highest level but we have not found it. We are angry. We could not fail and we have failed. It's a big mistake on our part. … I've got work to do on the training ground. We aren't pressing well enough, we aren't concentrating well enough."
It's not the only less-than-ideal development for the team this season. Tuesday's loss continues a habit of struggling away from home, especially in league play. La Liga's third place team slips down to fourth when considering just away form, and their plus-12 goal difference overall decreases by nine in matches on the road.
The team still has a straightforward path to the knockout phases of the Champions League and very much remain in the race to win La Liga for a second season in a row but are slowly starting to show some vulnerabilities. There's still time to fix those problems -- and Barcelona also boast the personnel to do so -- but if they do not, it will raise questions about their credentials to lift either title next spring.
