How should Xavi approach the rest of the season at Barca?

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Let’s hope the players aren’t dreaming of Ibiza just yet

The celebrations were much deserved at the Camp Nou on Saturday to honor a special, and much-needed, title-winning campaign.

The play on the field, however, left much to be desired.

A trophy hangover is understandable, especially against a talented opponent like Real Sociedad, who needed the victory to boost their chances of securing a rare spot in the Champions League.

But Xavi will surely want to use the remaining three games constructively.

First and foremost, there are accolades to be won.

Marc-Andre ter Stegen is chasing a La Liga record for clean sheets. Currently, he stands at 25, and needs two more in the last three games to take the record that currently stands at 26.

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The story of this season has been excellent defense, and the keeper has been the man leading the charge.

Barca should come together and do all they can to reward the German for his excellence. Ter Stegen is the perfect man between the sticks for Barcelona. He does so much on the ball, but he also has been an incredible shot stopper in big moments.

Don’t forget all those 1-0 victories in the heart of the season.

This team can go down in history for something truly unexpected. No one associates Barca with shutdown defense, but hopefully the reputation will change permanently in the seasons to come.

With Ronald Araujo out, it may be a hard goal to achieve. Marcos Alonso and Jordi Alba may not be the best men for the job, but collectively the team can rally and get the job done if it’s something they truly value. As a fan, it would be a fun thing to cheer for.

If nothing else, the highlight against La Real was Robert Lewandowski poaching a late goal, and extending his lead in the Pichichi race over Karim Benzema to five. The Pole is sitting on 22 goals at the moment, not a bad tally.

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This race really isn’t over. Crazier things have happened than Benzema scoring a couple of hat-tricks, and Lewandowski has already had a few goal droughts.

Score some goals to end the season, and look for the number nine to help Lewandowski end his first season at Barca with the recognition he deserves.

In order to do that, he’ll need a supporting cast.

And that’s the biggest question of all.

Who gets the minutes down the stretch?

Ferran Torres got the assist on Saturday and will surely be looking to make an impact with the summer approaching.

Ansu Fati seems to be completely out of favor, but it would be nice to see him get his confidence going before the season ends.

Ousmane Dembele is back from injury and will also be looking for some individual success before the curtain falls.

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I’m ok with all three options. Maybe leave Raphinha out at this point. He’s stepped up and made his impact, but there isn’t much left for him to prove in Xavi’s eyes.

I want to see which players are the hungriest before a few are put on the market with potential exits looming.

In the midfield, there are questions surrounding Franck Kessie, and we have seen very little from Pablo Torre. Not a bad time to give them a chance.

But of course the idea of experimenting with new players is in conflict with the goal of helping Ter Stegen and Lewandowski obtain glory.

So maybe Xavi will ride with the guys who have gotten him this far.

As much as we like to be entertained, it would be nice to see the team rally behind a few team-mates that have something special on the line.

Photo by Joan Valls/Urbanandsport /NurPhoto via Getty Images

This summer there will be important questions to answer.

Is it too late to gather information on the young and less used players?

One way or the other, let’s hope these games don’t go to waste.

Vacation time is close, but it’s not here yet.

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