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Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets believes the Blaugrana have become a more "complete" team under former teammate and current boss Xavi Hernandez.
Following a tepid start, the Catalans have picked up pace under Xavi and have been in incredible form. Some shrewd business in the winter, which saw the club bring in Dani Alves, Ferran Torres, Adama Traore (on loan) and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, has massively helped the team.
Busquets, who has been a consistent feature in Barcelona's starting XI since Xavi's arrival, told Mundo Deportivo (via Barca Blaugranes):
“We are a much more complete team, we do many more things well and we are more of a team after all. It is clear that we still have a long way to go, but this is the way.”
The Spanish defensive midfielder added:
“Everything is different. The self-esteem, the state of mind, the confidence. A new coach has arrived and has made many changes. Xavi introduced the philosophy that he had maintained for many years.”
Barcelona are unbeaten in 10 matches across all competitions, a streak that extends to 12 when only La Liga encounters are taken into account. This has helped them make it into the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 and move up to third in the league standings.
In their last 10 matches, they have scored 24 goals and conceded nine.
El Clasico will be a litmus test for Xavi's confident Barcelona side
The Blaugrana will take on La Liga leaders Real Madrid in their next league fixture on Sunday (March 20).
Los Blancos are in fantastic form themselves, having recently beaten Paris Saint-Germain after being two goals behind on aggregate in the UEFA Champions League. Carlo Ancelotti's side also picked up a 3-0 win over RCD Mallorca in their last league fixture to go 10 points clear at the top after 28 matches.
Consequently, the last Clasico of the season is likely to be a massive litmus test for Barcelona. They have lost their last four encounters against Real Madrid and will face a daunting task when they head to the Santiago Bernabeu over the weekend.
Before that, however, the Catalans will be focused on securing their berth in the Europa League quarterfinals. They will travel to Turkey tomorrow (March 17) to take on Galatasaray in the second leg of their Round of 16 fixture. The first leg at the Camp Nou ended 0-0, leaving the tie evenly poised.
