Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti throws his support behind under-fire Barcelona coach Xavi - ignoring potential wrath of fans due to huge Clasico rivalry

Barca have struggled in recent weeks, and find themselves seven points behind league leaders Girona less than halfway through the campaign. Still, Ancelotti has called on the Catalan team to stick by Xavi — despite the poor run.

In a pre-match press conference, Ancelotti stuck up for the under-fire manager, telling reporters: "In general, it’s normal for a coach to have criticism. We have to accept it and then everyone can choose the criticisms that they consider fair and unfair. The judgment of the coaches is only based on the results. No one cares about the coach’s methodology or ability to manage the locker room. It’s only if he wins or doesn’t win and Xavi knows this very well. For me, he is a great coach."

Despite the pressure mounting on the coach, Barca have found relative success in Europe this year. The Balugrana advanced to the Champions League knockout stages for the first time in three years, and topped their group.

The Italian will be on the sidelines as Madrid take on Villarreal tomorrow evening. A win would see them go momentarily top of La Liga, with Girona due to play Monday night.