The Brazilian winger turned in a poor performance as Barcelona lost to relegation-threatened Celta to round off a memorable season with a forgettable 2-1 defeat. Celta needed a win to stay up after a series of miserable results, and a lifeless performance from the Blaugrana ensured the struggling side will play in Spain's top flight next year.
Barcelona had a goal ruled out early on, with Franck Kessie's short range strike being ruled out after the midfielder was caught offside in the build-up. But the Blaugrana were mostly on the back foot for the remainder of the half. And Gabri Veiga made them pay. The academy product, linked with a summer move, burst through the Barca defence and slotted the ball past Marc-Andre ter Stegen to give the home side a well-deserved 1-0 lead.
Veiga added a second for the home side after 65 minutes. The midfielder sliced a cross intended for the far post, but the floated ball flew over the keeper and into the net.
Xavi's substitutes gave Barcelona life. Ansu Fati met Ousmane Dembele's angled cross in his stride to make things tense for the home side. But the Blaugrana couldn't find a second, ensuring that Celta stayed up.
Still, though both the performance and outcome won't have pleased Xavi, their season as a whole, complete with league winners' medals, was one to remember.
GOAL rates Barcelona's players from Balaidos...
.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=640&quality=60)