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The full-back, who had a torrid night against Real Madrid, has been condemned by erstwhile Barcelona striker Patrick Kluivert.
Joao Cancelo has been laid into after a disappointing night in Barcelona’s El Clasico loss to Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.
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What happened?
The Portugal international’s poor defending was evident in all three Los Blancos goals. A meek challenge meant Lucas Vazquez beat him easily moments before Pau Cubarsi gave a penalty away for the home side’s first.
The defender was unaware of Vasquez ghosting in on his blind side for Real Madrid’s second goal, and the Manchester City loanee did not get tight to the overlapping fullback who assisted Jude Bellingham’s late winning goal.
The upshot of Sunday night’s loss means Xavi’s men are 11 points adrift of Barcelona in LaLiga, effectively ending any realistic chance of retaining their league title.
What Kluivert said about Cancelo’s El Clasico performance
Speaking after the game on ESPN FC, Kluivert was appalled by Cancelo’s display and did not hide his feelings.
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“These kinds of mistakes, you cannot make,” said the erstwhile Barcelona striker. “It’s really embarrassing to see the mistakes that Joao Cancelo makes defensively.
“Everybody knows how he can play offensively, with his speed, with his choices. But he is a defender, and he has to defend first.
“If the ball comes from the left side, you have to close the gap. The position of his body was totally wrong, and that’s unacceptable. At this level, it’s unacceptable.”
What comes next for Barcelona?
Barcelona losing for the first time in LaLiga since late January leaves them 11 points behind Real Madrid in the table, with six games to play.
Girona are third on 68 points, two shy of the Blaugrana, meaning Xavi’s men face a battle to finish runners-up in the Spanish top division in the campaign’s final weeks.
Barcelona’s next LaLiga match is against Valencia on April 29, with a possible decider for second place to come the following weekend at Girona.
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