Seven reasons why Barcelona shouldn't panic despite damaging defeat in El Clasico

It's hard to criticise Barcelona after their performance in the Clasico, as they got almost everything right. In fact, they were quite comfortably the better team for most of the contest. Xavi pieced together a competitive XI from a paper-thin squad, and was innovative enough to give his side the upper hand in the early goings.

The deployment of Joao Cancelo as a midfielder, combined with Gavi's shift in the centre of the park and Alejandro Balde's more defensive set-up, had Madrid rattled. Barca led 1-0 after 10 minutes, and had Fermin Lopez's shot gone the right side of the post, would have carried a 2-0 advantage after 20. They held Vinicius Jr to footballing anonymity, kept Rodrygo quiet, and practiced the dark arts effectively enough to ensure that Bellingham was never comfortable on the ball.

Things turned quite swiftly once the England midfielder's bolt from the blue whizzed past Ter Stegen, but Xavi was mostly correct in his summation that his side could have quite comfortably taken three points from the contest.

There are no points handed out for respectable hours of football, but this was not a catastrophic loss by any means.

This Clasico was always going to be trickier than most for Barca. Injuries can happen to any team, at any time, but Xavi must feel particularly hard done by given the players he couldn't call upon this time around.

Pedri and Frenkie de Jong narrowly missed out on making the matchday squad after prolonged spells on the sidelines, while Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha were only fit enough to come off the bench — and didn't really look physically ready when they did. Factor in, too, the continued absence of Jules Kounde and that Lamine Yamal, Joao Felix and Gavi have all picked up knocks in recent weeks, and this looked a remarkably thin Barca side.

It is to their credit, then, that they were able to stay in the game for so long — especially given their midfield corps. While there is undoubtedly talent in the Ilkay Gundogan-Gavi-Fermin Lopez trio, it pales in comparison to the Toni Kroos-Aurelien Tchouameni-Federico Valverde midfield that Madrid were able to field. Further up the pitch, Lewandowski would certainly have been backed to finish the pair of half-chances that Ferran Torres missed.

Madrid aren't free of injuries themselves, but they have learned to cope without both Eder Militao and Thibaut Courtois, who are both likely out for the season after suffering ACL injuries in August. In contrast, Barca have been forced into chopping and changing on a weekly basis of late, and though the Clasico came too soon for some, logic dictates that this crisis will be over soon and Xavi will be able to select a more settled line-up going forward.

In truth, Barca haven't really been at full-strength all season. As far back as in their season opener against Getafe, Gavi was unavailable, while Raphinha got sent off in the first half. Andreas Christensen swiftly picked up a knock of his own, while Cancelo and Felix hadn't even been signed yet.

Until he has a fully-fit squad to pick from, it is difficult to evaluate Xavi's performance so far this season. This squad is full of talent, especially in attacking and central midfield areas, yet the manager has been forced to shoehorn players in at odd positions or have individuals lacking in fitness play for too long. Torres, for example, is not a natural striker, yet has been asked to play up front. The same can be said for Gavi, who has turned in a series of admirable performances in a deep-lying role that he really shouldn't have to play.

Give the manager a complete squad — and the luxury of a full campaign to tweak things — and this side could be far more dangerous.

Xavi has a unique age profile in his squad. There's plenty of experience to be found here, with Lewandowski, Gundogan, Oriol Romeu, Marcos Alonso and Ter Stegen all north of 30. By this point, De Jong, Felix and Kounde are all veterans of the game, too — despite only being in their mid-20s.

Outside of that, though, this is a pretty young unit. Gavi, Pedri and Balde are constantly learning and evolving. Yamal, at 16, will improve with every game. Fermin, meanwhile, has bags of potentia. The manager himself, too, is still relatively inexperienced in his coaching career, with just two years of top-level European management under his belt.

Xavi has spoken repeatedly about the steady improvement of his side, and has cut a calm figure in press conferences. This is a coach who knows that his team can win, but is also aware that they have to improve. Perhaps more importantly, though, he trusts his squad to do so.

What proved the difference for Madrid on Saturday was the fact that they have, on form, the best player in the world at their disposal. Bellingham has smashed whatever lofty expectations were placed on him following his €103 million (£88m/$110m) summer arrival, and few — if any — could have predicted that he would be scoring at a rate comparable to that of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Being able to turn to such a player is an immense luxury for Carlo Ancelotti. Bellingham has already won them a number of games, and barring an unexpected turn in form or injury, is likely to continue to doing so. If Barca are constantly improving as a team, so too is Bellingham as an individual. That cannot be denied.

But what the Blaugrana do have is several players, all over the pitch, who can impact the game in similar ways. Despite his age, Lewandowski could quite comfortably score 30-plus goals this season. Felix has already been crucial in wins over Celta Vigo and Royal Antwerp.

Meanwhile, something seems to awaken in Gundogan when the biggest games come around. He was constantly clutch down the stretch for Manchester City as they closed in on trophy wins, and his goal on Saturday suggests he packed that gene in his suitcase when he headed to Spain.

The Barca of a year or two ago could be genuinely concerned about its lack of obvious match-winning talent. This one doesn't have to be.

And things could shift remarkably in the winter. Barca already have an agreement in place to bring highly-rated striker Vitor Roque to the club in January after agreeing a €35m (£30m/$38m) deal with Athletico PR for their teenage talent. The 18-year-old's credentials at the top level can be called into question, but he will certainly add an injection of energy and quality to the side — and also offer some relief for Lewandowski's aging legs.

Reports from ESPNhave suggested that the Blaugrana also have their eyes on another pivot in the January window. Romeu has performed admirably thus far, but Barca are weak in his position. Gavi and Gundogan aren't exactly inspiring back-ups there, either.

Any deal would have to be a short-term loan, such are Barca's financial constraints, but some talent is sure to arrive. A shrewd incoming or two could turn a very good team into a great one.

And perhaps more broadly, Barca have the bonus of experience. This side is mostly the same one that won La Liga by 10 points last season, with the same manager. That team, for all of its successes, had bumps, too. They were handily beaten in their first Clasico of the campaign, and failed to make it out of their Champions League group. There was genuine chatter that Xavi could be fired in November. Times were bad in Catalunya.

A turnaround at the start of 2023 — kicked-off by a Spanish Super Cup win over their arch-rivals — saw the Blaugrana cruise to the title. They didn't make it look pretty, but Xavi's men pieced together an undefeated run in the first few months of the calendar year that eventually carried them to their Liga crown.

This squad is arguably better than that one. And for all of the pressure that surrounds Barcelona, the weight of the badge, and the legal trouble the club find themselves in, those key characters know what it takes to win. That alone should be enough to keep the faith.