Barca's region inside the top four continues to be no longer secure either after a 3rd consecutive defeat at Camp Nou persisted their past due-season wobble and noticed them squander the danger to shy away inside the race for Champions League qualification.
Madrid stay 15 factors clear with 5 games left to play and whilst Barcelona have a better head-to-head, Carlo Ancelotti's side understand they will be uncatchable if they take just a point from Espanyol on Saturday on the Santiago Bernabeu.
Barcelona need to still have sufficient for the top four given they sit six factors clear of Real Betis in fifth, with 5 games left to play, but triumphing this recreation in hand against an out-of-shape Rayo aspect could actually have made the run-in extra snug.
Instead, their shape, as an awful lot as their position, will be a actual problem for educate Xavi, whose team have now gained simplest two times in their final six fits.
This loss comes once they had been crushed at domestic by Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League region-finals and then defeated by using Cadiz in La Liga, additionally 1-0.
Xavi talked on Saturday approximately "convalescing the sensations" of a few weeks ago, while a four-zero thrashing of Real Madrid on the Santiago Bernabeu regarded set to vicinity Barcelona even as favourites in La Liga next season.
But that feels like reminiscence now, with the team's season in danger of ending with a whimper.
Missing out at the Champions League would be unthinkable for Barcelona, who started out the season with debts of more than one thousand million euros.
Missing out on 2nd place could have results too given qualification for the Spanish Super Cup is also believed to be well worth around 8 million euros to the Catalans.
