BARCELONA: Barcelona had started their season under new manager Hansi Flick in great form – winning 11 of their first 12 La Liga matches, averaging over three goals per game and thrashing old rivals Real Madrid 4-0.
But suddenly they seem to have hit a brick wall as they have picked up only one point in their last three matches.
Defeats against Real Sociedad and Las Palmas cut Barcelona's comfortable nine-point lead in the standings to just one and Flick is now under pressure to break the winless run against Mallorca on Tuesday.
Since overcoming local rivals Espanyol 3-1 a month ago, Barca were beaten 1-0 at Real Sociedad, gave up a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at Celta Vigo and suffered an embarrassing 2-1 loss at home against lowly Las Palmas who arrived at Camp Nou on Saturday in the relegation zone.
With second-placed Real on 37 points and with a game in hand, Barca know they cannot afford any slip-ups against Mallorca.
Having scored just three goals in their last three league games, Flick urged his players on Monday to be more clinical up-front and make the most of the chances they create.
"For me, the good news is that November is over and we are in December," Flick told a press conference on Monday.
"The team has given a lot in those games, in the midfield we have had a lot of intensity and we have been very disciplined. We created chances but we have to finish better.
"It may seem like I'm making excuses, but we lost. We have to be focused in attack. We can't afford to have two or three chances and do not score them. In football it's the goals that count."
Flick said he did not think the players were suffering an attitude problem, instead they just needed to show more focus on the details.
"We are a young team that have to learn and fight for victories," Flick said.
"At the back, we need to stop conceding goals and for that we have to defend as a unit. In attack, we also have to be united... We have to score with the chances we get.
"We had long possessions and a lot of chances, but in the end it's a fight to win the duels. When I see (Pau) Cubarsi or Inigo Martinez and how well they defend... Pedri runs a lot in midfield... so do the others. There is a long way to go, we want to win the league title and for that everyone has to fight." - Reuters