Xavi acknowledged Barcelona are in a "very good situation" at the LaLiga summit but was left to rue a missed opportunity at home to Girona on Monday.

The Blaugrana could have moved 15 points clear with victory, after Real Madrid fell to a 3-2 defeat against Villarreal on Sunday, but had to settle for a 13-point lead following a goalless draw at Camp Nou.

It marked Barca's second draw without scoring at Camp Nou in LaLiga this term, as many as in their previous four league campaigns combined, after Girona goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga impressed.

Barca head coach Xavi says failing to win at home will always be a missed chance, though refused to criticise his side for their efforts.

Asked on DAZN whether it was an opportunity squandered, Xavi said: "We can't be positive with a point at home, but we are 13 points clear of second with 10 games to go.

"We are in a very good situation. We have tried, we have played a correct game, we have had many chances to score and win the game against a very good team.

"We just missed getting the first goal. I think we deserved to win."

Barca continued their unbeaten run at home in LaLiga this campaign (14 games), with only Union Berlin and Bayern Munich boasting a season-long such record across Europe's top five leagues this term.

The stalemate also marked a rare feat for Girona, who kept a clean sheet in a Spanish top-flight away game for the first time since March 2019 (2-0 win at Leganes).

Girona have not beaten their Catalan rivals Barca in six league meetings (L4 D2) but Xavi was quick to credit Miguel Angel Sanchez's impressive visitors.

The former midfielder added: "We are going to play teams like this, who are risking their lives. They told us that this point is massive.

"Next week we are going to Getafe, who are risking their lives. This team drew at the Bernabeu, it's a great team.

"We have to give credit to this league, people want to see it differently but we deserve praise to be where we are [at the top]."

A misfiring Barca frontline failed to breach the resolute Girona backline, with Robert Lewandowski and Ansu Fati largely passengers in a contest where Raphinha shone by creating a game-leading four chances.

The Brazil international's performance was in stark contrast to Fati, who has been involved in just one LaLiga goal in his last 16 outings after being involved in eight (5G 3A) in that amount of previous matches.

Blaugrana captain Busquets acknowledged it was difficult to overcome an industrious Girona as the Spain international outlined his intentions to wrap up the league title as soon as possible.

He told DAZN: "It was hard for us to hurt them, especially in the first half when they had a little more possession of the ball. They put a lot of balls inside and we weren't pressing well. 

"Even so, I think we have had them, but today we have seen how the minutes went by, they gradually established themselves more and more in defence and we could not get the goal. 

"Our main objective is to win the league as soon as possible. If Madrid drop points then good, but our objective remains the same."

Barcelona missed the chance to move 15 points clear at the LaLiga summit after being held to a goalless draw at home to Girona on Monday.

Real Madrid succumbed to a 3-2 defeat to Villarreal on Saturday but Xavi's Blaugrana failed to fire two days later, leaving Barca 13 points clear of the second-placed Los Blancos.

A fine Paulo Gazzaniga display kept the energetic hosts at bay, while Valentin Castellanos wasted the best chance of the game when curling wide in the second half at Camp Nou.

The stalemate ended a four-match winning league run for Barca, but Xavi's side remain unbeaten at home in LaLiga this season as the Blaugrana march towards the title.

Viktor Tsygankov sliced a presentable chance on the volley wide as Girona started positively, although Barca should have twice broke the deadlock in the opening 10 minutes.

Robert Lewandowski curled narrowly over after an Ansu Fati offload, while a despairing Gazzaniga dive saved Santiago Bueno from inexplicably passing into his own goal.

Another smart Gazzaniga stop denied Raphinha before the Girona goalkeeper – almost inside his own net – somehow clawed away Ronald Araujo's flick from the resulting corner.

Eric Garcia headed over from close range immediately after the interval but Girona should have struck first shortly after.

Castellanos evaded Barca's offside trap but placed wide with just Marc-Andre ter Stegen to beat, with Girona left to rue a missed chance that could have grabbed a memorable victory against their Catalan rivals, who themselves squandered some promising opportunities late on.

What does it mean? Xavi warning not heeded

Xavi warned his Barca players in his pre-match press conference to not get sloppy in search of a 15-point lead at the top of LaLiga, though the Blaugrana stars failed to heed that warning.

Girona were good value for a hard-fought point, albeit the visitors may look back with regret after Castellanos spurned a brilliant chance to secure their first league win over Barca since September 2017.

Barca remain firmly on course for the title but profligate performances such as this show there is still much to work on for Xavi's young Blaugrana.

Rampant Raphinha efforts in vain

Raphinha appeared to be everywhere as Barca tried and failed to breach an impressive Girona defence that was led by Gazzaniga, who made a trio of brilliant saves.

The Brazil international carved out a game-leading four big chances, including two brilliant set-piece deliveries, but his hard-working showing ended without deserved reward.

Careless Castellanos

Castellanos had time and space to think how to beat Ter Stegen with a massive second-half chance, though somehow failed to hit the target after racing through one-on-one.

That capped a frustrating showing for the Girona striker, who completed just five passes, won a meagre two duels and recorded only 14 touches before his 60th-minute withdrawal.

What's next?

Barca visit Getafe on Sunday, when Girona host Elche.

Xavi warned Barcelona they cannot consider the league title won even if they beat Girona to open up a 15-point lead over Real Madrid on Monday.

Barca were crushed 4-0 by Madrid in the second leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final in midweek, meaning the Blaugrana only have the LaLiga title left to play for.

They were already 12 points clear at the summit before this weekend, and Madrid's surprise 3-2 home defeat to Villarreal on Saturday gives Barca the opportunity to increase the gap.

No team has ever overturned such a deficit at this stage of a LaLiga season, so Barca's position looks very secure.

But Xavi was keen to stress the importance of not taking their lead for granted, with the former midfielder acknowledging his young squad does lack a degree of maturity.

"[The title] wouldn't be considered won, there would still be 10 [games] left," Xavi bluntly said in his pre-match press conference.

"When the league is won, we'll celebrate it. We have to win it. Tomorrow's game is a very good test for us after the elimination in the Copa.

"We depend on ourselves. Fifteen points would be a spectacular difference. It wouldn't be all done, but it would be a big difference, and winning the league would be extraordinary."

Despite Barca's massive lead in LaLiga, their performances in other competitions have left a lot to be desired.

While they did win the Supercopa de Espana, Barca dropped out of the Champions League at the group stage and into the Europa League – Manchester United deservedly eliminated them from that competition, and they were even more comprehensively dumped out of the Copa by Madrid.

But Xavi lent on comments once made by former Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane as he suggested LaLiga success reflects stability.

Asked what incentives Barca players have, Xavi said: "Winning LaLiga. Winning LaLiga is the focus.

"We have won five Champions Leagues, and winning the Champions League is required of us, but winning LaLiga gives us stability.

"We are 12 points ahead and that means that we do things well. We value what we are doing. It's amazing, and gets us closer to winning LaLiga, which for us would be extraordinary."

As for the other competitions, Xavi reminded critics they are still during the early stages of a new era.

"We need time. We won the Supercopa, we are on track in LaLiga. In Europe, we have not competed well.

"We've signed players, there are youngsters [in the squad]... when we have been playing together for two or three years, we will not be under construction.

"We've won a title and we're on our way to another."

Pedri is already one of the best players in the world in his position, according to Barcelona boss Xavi.

The 20-year-old midfielder marked his 100th appearance for the club on Saturday with the only goal as Barca edged past Girona to claim an eighth win in nine LaLiga games.

The result moved Barca six points clear at the league summit, although Real Madrid can reduce the deficit back to three when they host third-placed Real Sociedad on Sunday.

Pedri has scored with 72.7 per cent of his shots on target (8/11) since Xavi was appointed – the highest ratio of anyone who has scored at least six goals in this period – and the Barca boss was full of praise for the Spain international. 

"He's already a big difference maker in games and if you also add assists and goals, we're talking about one of the best in the world in his position at just 20 years of age," he said.

"And he still has to do more in the last pass. But not only Pedri; also Gavi, [Frenkie] De Jong, [Sergio] Busquets, and [Franck] Kessie when he plays."

Barca were far from their fluid best against Girona, who have now failed to win any of their five LaLiga matches against the Blaugrana, and Xavi wants his players to be more daring in attacking situations.

"We still don't fully dare," he added. "We give the correct pass, but not the decisive pass. We have to shoot from outside the area, look for good balls, make a cross.

"Girona put pressure on us and they surprised us, but sometimes we need to get out of the box and generate more. 

"The first half-hour of the second half is what we want; the victory and the goal come thanks to high pressure.

"I am satisfied with the victory, but we must be self-critical and we must improve in attacking situations."

Pedri replaced the injured Ousmane Dembele in the 26th minute and Xavi confirmed the France international will be tested to determine the severity of the issue. 

"In a match like this it is even more important not to lose Dembele as he is the most important player in one-on-one situations and, of course, it upset our plans.

"They will test him and we will see, but he has noticed something and it seems that there is a quadriceps injury. It's a shame because he is an important player."

Barca are next in action on Wednesday when they visit Real Betis. 

Leaders Barcelona made it eight wins in nine LaLiga matches as Pedri's second-half goal secured a slender 1-0 victory over Girona on Saturday.

Xavi's side struggled in the first half at Estadi Montilivi, with their frustration compounded by the loss of Ousmane Dembele to injury before the break.

They improved after half-time and sealed three points just past the hour when Pedri marked his 100th appearance for the club with his fifth league goal of the season.

The result moved Barca six points clear at the league summit, although Real Madrid can reduce the deficit back to three when they host third-placed Real Sociedad on Sunday.

Barca suffered a blow in the 26th minute when Dembele pulled up holding his left leg, with the France international replaced by Pedri.

The 20-year-old midfielder initially did little to spark life into Xavi's spluttering side, who went in at the break having mustered just two tame efforts on target. 

He came to the fore following the interval, though, tapping in from close range in the 61st minute after Paulo Gazzaniga failed to deal with Jordi Alba's low cross from the left.

Girona responded well to that setback, with Michel's side putting significant pressure on the Barca backline in the closing stages.  

An unmarked Ivan Martin inexplicably fired wide from six yards late on, with the visitors ultimately scraping maximum points as they bid to win their first title since the 2018-19 season. 

Xavi believes it will be a "catastrophe" if Barcelona do not beat Girona on Saturday as they look to keep up their LaLiga title charge.

A run of seven wins in eight league matches has put Xavi's men top of the table, holding a three-point lead over rivals Real Madrid in second.

They continue their bid to win their first LaLiga title since the 2018-19 season on Saturday at home to Girona, who sit 11th and just four points above the relegation zone.

Xavi hopes his team can pick up another three points amid the pressure of a title race, telling reporters: "You have to beat Girona. This is Barca.

"This is the Barca environment, I know it very well. If we don't win tomorrow, it will be a catastrophe.

"Try to win it because it will be a difficult match. Michel [Girona head coach] has said that they have nothing to lose and we will come out with pressure because we want to win LaLiga."

Xavi is hoping Ousmane Dembele will extend his Barcelona contract amid rumours of a move to Paris Saint-Germain.

Dembele scored Barca's winner as they beat Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals on Wednesday, continuing his excellent form this season after a tough 2021-22 campaign.

The France international has been involved in 15 goals with Barcelona in all competitions this season, already equalling his record of last term, but with his contract set to expire in 2024, there had been rumours of a move to PSG.

But Xavi wants Dembele to remain with the Spanish giants, telling reporters: "Ousmane is an important player, someone who makes a difference.

"It's difficult to find these kind of players. For me, he's a key player. Ousmane knows it, the club knows it.

"He has changed his mentality and I hope to have him here for many more years."

Barca overcame wastefulness in front of goal to overcome La Real and reach the Copa del Rey final four, with Dembele's goal enough to secure a narrow 1-0 win despite having 20 shots.

While Xavi is concerned about his side's profligacy in front of goal in tight matches, he believes his team are much improved from last season, saying: "I am worried about not finishing them [close games]. Many things have to be improved

"We have to value how we were last year and how we are now. There are things to improve, obviously, but I think we are in a very good moment of form and it should be valued."

Carlo Ancelotti is not losing sleep over a possible four-game ban, but the Real Madrid boss remains adamant his side were hard done by to concede a penalty against Girona.

Madrid were held to a 1-1 draw in LaLiga on Sunday after Marco Asensio was deemed by VAR to have handled in the area.

Cristhian Stuani converted the subsequent spot-kick, while Toni Kroos was sent off late on, to prompt a furious reaction from Ancelotti after the full-time whistle, with the Italian claiming the "penalty is an invention".

Ancelotti's comments could land him with a four-game ban, with a decision due this week, but ahead of Madrid's Champions League clash with Celtic on Wednesday, he was unrepentant.

"They can suspend me, or not – four games, we'll wait and see," he stated. "I've sat on the bench 1,200 times or more. If I miss four, I miss four.

"I still sleep at night. I want to clarify that I haven't disrespected anyone. I've said one thing that everyone in football understands.

"What is clear is that the referee association have complained about something I said. I'm not doubting the professionalism of a referee, I've never not respected a referee, I try and respect everyone."

Ancelotti believes the referee did not interpret the rules in the same way it was described to LaLiga's coaches at the start of the campaign.

He added: "The problem is, was it a penalty or was it not a penalty? I don't think it was, based on what they told us at the start of the season.

"Maybe they've changed the rules. If so, they should let us know, or is this always going to be a penalty from now on.

"We'd just like things to be clear. If it was a mistake, just say it was a mistake – everyone can make mistakes.

"If they tell us that this is a penalty, they have to explain it. I am not stupid and the rule that they have explained to us has told us that it was not a penalty."

Asked if VAR should have overruled the on-pitch official, Ancelotti replied: "Sometimes the VAR has more prominence than the referee.

"The VAR came in to clarify clear errors... I understand that it is a very, very fine line, but it did seem to me that awarding the penalty was a clear error."

Carlo Ancelotti claimed referee Mario Melero Lopez invented a decision to award Girona a penalty after Real Madrid were held to a 1-1 draw.

Los Blancos moved back above Barcelona to the top of the table but dropped points for only the second time in LaLiga this season.

Vinicius Junior put the champions in front in the 70th minute at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday, but Cristhian Stuani equalised from the spot 10 minutes later.

Referee Melero Lopez adjudged Marco Asensio handled in the box after a VAR check and there was more late drama, with Rodrygo having a goal disallowed as Paulo Gazzaniga was deemed to have had control of the ball with one hand when the forward poked it into the back of the net.

Toni Kroos was then sent off for the first time in his club career in stoppage time as Madrid slipped up, but Ancelotti felt they were hard done by.

The Madrid head coach said: "I never like to talk about the referees, but today I am going to. I have spoken with Asensio and it is very clear that he does not touch the ball with his hand, it hits him in the chest.

"It is true that the position of his left hand is a little strange, but it covered the body, it did not make it bigger. There may be doubt if he touches it, but he simply did not touch the ball with his hand. This penalty is an invention."

Ancelotti conceded Madrid fell short of the standards he expects after they slipped up on the back of a Champions League defeat at RB Leipzig.

The Italian expects a response when they face Celtic on Wednesday, when the holders can secure top spot in Group F.

He said: "We're not at the level we were last week, we've had some problems, with the return of injured players, Rodrygo, [Luka] Modric, [Aurelien] Tchouameni.

"We're playing a lot of games and we're feeling tired. they have affected us a lot. We have the opportunity on Wednesday to be first and the goal is to be leaders at the break. At the moment we have everything in hand."

Toni Kroos was sent off in a 1-1 draw against lowly Girona as Real Madrid returned to the top of the table but dropped LaLiga points for only the second time this season.

Vinicius Junior's ninth goal of the season with just over 20 minutes of normal time remaining put Los Blancos in front at the Santiago Bernabeu.

That was not enough to secure the victory, though, as Marco Asensio was penalised for handball following a VAR check and Cristhian Stuani converted from the spot in the 80th minute.

Rodrygo had a late goal disallowed and Kroos was sent off for a second bookable offence as Los Blancos had to settle for a result that inched them a point above Barcelona at the summit, while Girona are out of the relegation zone.

Luka Modric shot wide in the second minute on his return from injury before Valentin Castellanos fired an early warning shot at the other end, drilling narrowly off target.

Rodrygo let fly with a rasping right-foot drive that was superbly tipped wide by Paulo Gazzaniga, but Girona continued to look dangerous and a header from captain Valery Fernandez flashed just past the left post.

A strike from Madrid forward Rodrygo rattled the right post and Yangel Herrera's left-foot effort for Girona crashed against the crossbar after Fernandez outmuscled Dani Carvajal.

There was a flashpoint early in the second half when David Lopez was perhaps fortune to only be shown a yellow card for a clash with Vinicius, who went down claiming the Girona defender headbutted him.

It was Vinicius who made the breakthrough in the 70th minute, Federico Valverde spinning away from a defender and giving the forward a tap-in from inside the six-yard box.

Gazzaniga brilliantly palmed Asensio's powerful strike against the bar soon after that opening goal, before the Madrid winger was adjudged to have handled in the box following a VAR check.

Stuani sent Thibaut Courtois the wrong way with a superb spot-kick, and there was more drama when Rodrygo found the back of the net, but the goal was ruled out as Gazzaniga had a hand on the ball when the striker poked it past him.

Kroos was then dismissed for a second bookable offence after a cynical stoppage-time foul as Madrid slipped up.

Real Madrid will once again be without Karim Benzema when they face Girona on Sunday and Rodrygo is also an injury doubt.

Captain Benzema trained on Friday, but the Ballon d'Or winner is still being troubled by muscular fatigue in his left leg.

Los Blancos head coach Ancelotti on Saturday revealed his star striker has undergone tests, which came back all clear.

But Madrid will not take any risks with the France international's fitness, while forward Rodrygo may also miss the LaLiga clash with Girona at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Ancelotti said of Benzema: "Yesterday he trained, after that he wasn't feeling very well. We had some tests and everything was fine, but we just want to be careful.

"The tests were quite positive, there was no problem at all, but he isn't feeling 100 per cent, so we are going to remain calm with him."

Rodrygo did not train on Saturday due to an unspecified injury and his fitness will be assessed on the day of the game.

Luka Modric, Federico Valverde and Dani Ceballos are set to return for the league leaders.

Madrid were beaten 3-2 by RB Leipzig in the Champions League on Tuesday and Ancelotti expects a response from his players.

The Italian said: "I think the team learned [from the loss to Leipzig] that we need to prep for every game as if it's the most important of the season.

"Sometimes when you play every three days you need to recover physically and it is not easy to always stay motivated."

Diego Simeone knows Atletico Madrid must raise their game after he felt they panicked in a 2-1 victory over Girona.

Angel Correa scored an early goal in each half in only his second start of the season as Atleti put a Champions League defeat at Club Brugge behind them, securing back-to-back La Liga wins and moving into fourth place.

Rodrigo Riquelme pulled a goal back with a long-range drive midway through the second half and Girona were unfortunate not to leave the Cívitas Metropolitano with at least a point from Saturday's game.

Jan Oblak produced a great save to tip Aleix Garcia's drive against the post and the Atleti goalkeeper denied the same player with another stunning late stop.

Simeone felt his side made life difficult for themselves by dropping deep after Riquelme's strike, with a terrible mistake from goalkeeper Juan Carlos for Correa's second goal costing Girona.

The Atletico head coach said: "Winning 2-0, it happens many times with the game under control a goal comes and takes you out of the state you were in.

"You begin to think more about defending in almost a game that you have won, but it is not yet won. It leads you to gather [behind the ball] as protection as anyone does when they attack you, and in the end you plant yourself in a panic situation."

Simeone has no complaints with the effort his players are showing but says they will need more when they go in search of a much-needed victory over Brugge in the coming week.

He said: "There are times when you have to win, like today. At minute 60-70 we played it the way we wanted to play it.

"They are giving everything they have to compete and be in the two competitions in the best way. We have a very tough game on Wednesday, and we need the people and the players.

"We deal with and worry about what the team are going through, how to improve it. We could make some situations better. But we are trying to give the maximum for the best of the team."

Antoine Griezmann laid on the opening goal for Correa on a day Xavi confirmed Barcelona have agreed to accept a reduced fee to make his move to Atleti permanent.

Angel Correa scored twice as Atletico Madrid put a midweek Champions League defeat behind them with a 2-1 win over Girona.

Atleti were beaten 2-0 by surprise package Club Brugge on Tuesday, but they responded with a LaLiga victory at the Civitas Metropolitano four days later

Correa marked his second LaLiga start of the season with an early goal set up by Antoine Griezmann, who played from the off after Barcelona boss Xavi confirmed an agreement had been reached over a permanent move for the France international.

A Juan Carlos howler gifted Correa his second, and although loanee Rodrigo Riquelme pulled a goal back against his parent club, Diego Simeone's side held on for all three points, helped by Jan Oblak's fine goalkeeping.

Griezmann missed a penalty in the defeat at Brugge, but he set about making amends by delivering a pinpoint cross from the left that was converted by Correa at the back post in the fifth minute.

Girona showed a positive response to going behind, Oriol Romeu having a shot blocked by Axel Witsel before Yangel Herrera scooped over the crossbar from inside the penalty area.

Matheus Cunha was denied by Girona goalkeeper Carlos after Griezmann played him in with a clever pass, and Herrera headed just wide at the other end on the stroke of half-time.

Carlos then gifted Correa a second goal with a casual pass that the Argentina forward cut out before applying a simple finish.

Carlos got down well to keep out Nahuel Molina's effort at his near post after a brilliant Yannick Carrasco pass opened up the Girona defence.

Riquelme gave the promoted side a deserved lifeline with a long-range drive midway through the second half.

Girona continued to pose a threat and Oblak superbly tipped a rasping Aleix García drive against the post and denied the same player with another brilliant save, as Atleti held on under late pressure.

Girona have announced the signing of Reinier on a season-long loan from Real Madrid, following the Brazilian's temporary spell with Borussia Dortmund.

The 20-year-old was signed by Madrid in January 2020 from South American side Flamengo, where he won the Brazilian league and Copa Libertadores in 2019.

Having signed a six-year deal with Madrid, Reinier joined the Castilla team before signing a two-year loan deal in August 2020 with Borussia Dortmund – which expired in June.

During his time in the Bundesliga, Reinier scored a solitary goal and was largely utilised as a substitute last season.

He was also part of the Brazil side that won a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics.

A move to Girona will allow Madrid to keep a closer eye on him and help Reinier to adjust to the rigours of Spanish football ahead of his return to the capital at the end of the season.

Miguel Gutierrez has completed a permanent move from Real Madrid to Girona for a reported fee of €5million.

The 21-year-old full-back made just nine appearances in all for Madrid's senior team, spending most of his time at the LaLiga giants playing for the Castilla team.

After just three games for Los Blancos last season, Gutierrez has moved on and signed a five-year-deal with Girona as he seeks regular first team football.

He was a part of the Spain team that won the Under-19 European Championship in 2019, and also won the UEFA Youth League with Madrid under the guidance of legendary striker Raul in 2019-20.

Gutierrez becomes the sixth signing for Girona in this transfer window, with other arrivals including last season's Major League Soccer top goalscorer Valentin Castellanos on loan from New York City FC.

Valentin Castellanos has joined newly promoted LaLiga side Girona from New York City FC on a season-long loan.

Castellanos scored 19 goals in 32 matches last season to finish top of the Major League Soccer scoring charts and help NYCFC to their first-ever MLS Cup triumph.

The 23-year-old is level with Austin FC's Sebastian Driussi in the top-scorer standings this term, while also chipping in with two assists.

Having been linked with a move away from New York for the best part of 18 months, it was confirmed on Monday that Castellanos has joined Girona until June 2023.

The deal in place between NYCFC and Girona, who are both under the City Football Group (CFG) umbrella, does not contain the option to make the transfer permanent.

However, NYCFC sporting director David Lee is open to cashing in on Castellanos if the right offer is made, with his move to one of Europe's top leagues only heightening his profile.

"By Taty performing well in Europe, it will give us the opportunity to [sell] him at a higher valuation and a higher number than we've had so far in this transfer window," Lee said. 

Castellanos has spent four-and-a-half years with NYCFC after joining from Uruguayan side Torque – another of their sister clubs – on an initial loan deal in 2018.

He is the second-highest scorer in NYCFC's history, behind only Spain great David Villa, with 50 goals in 109 regular-season matches.

"While it is difficult to leave this club, I strongly believe that this is the right time for me to move to Europe, which has always been a personal dream of mine," Castellanos said.

"I feel confident and ready for a new challenge. I'd like to thank NYCFC and Girona for giving me this opportunity and finding a way for me to continue my journey and prove myself."