Xavi Hernandez’s return to Barcelona as its manager seemed to indicate a return to the club’s flowing possession game in which he thrived in as a player, but his team has instead relied on a watertight defense as it closes in on the Spanish title. Barcelona visits Athletic Bilbao on Sunday as the club bids to preserve or even extend its nine-point lead on Real Madrid, which hosts Espanyol Saturday — in the top two teams last league matches before the Clasico at Camp Nou on March 19.
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