Barcelona capped off their first half of the season with a 3-2 victory against Almeria, with the Catalan giants finally putting a halt to their streak of winless games.

However, the situation in La Liga is not looking great. Having won the title dominantly last season, Barça are trailing behind Girona and Real Madrid by a notable margin.

The Catalan giants are eager to put these troubles behind them and start afresh once the campaign resumes after the Christmas break.

Club optimistic that improvements will come

Indeed, according to AS, like they did the previous season, Barcelona president Laporta and manager Xavi Hernandez are fervently optimistic that the Spanish Super Cup will mark the team’s comeback.

The competition will take place in Saudi Arabia in early January, with the Catalan giants set to square off against Osasuna in the semi-finals. Meanwhile, Real Madrid will lock horns against Atletico Madrid.

Winning the Super Cup would in turn reduce pressure on Xavi, who has come under intense scrutiny in recent weeks. It will also be seen as a critical necessity rather than just a simple piece of silverware in light of the ongoing situation.

Gunning for a second title

However, the coach and the president are not content to simply rest on their laurels and settle for a single title.

Xavi and Laporta are both certain that they can win another trophy, either the Copa del Rey or the league, even though the chances are currently looking bleak.

The Champions League seems more challenging, given Barça’s recent history in the competition and the fact that they have been set up against a difficult opponent in Napoli in the Round of 16.