Joao Cancelo, since arriving on loan from Manchester City on September 1, 2023, has been one of the key pieces in Xavi Hernandez's scheme with Barcelona. The left-back has played - to date - a total of 37 games between LaLiga and the Champions League, accumulating four goals and the same number of assists.

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Despite his consistency, which was briefly interrupted by a knee injury, lately the performance of the native of Barreiro, Portugal, has been considerably diminished. Cancelo's physical condition has even led Barcelona fans to point fingers at him as the architect of the recent Champions League elimination at the hands of PSG and the 3-2 defeat against Real Madrid in LaLiga.

The Portuguese had a couple of nightmare games. First, against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, it was down the left flank where Ousmane Dembele scored the opening goal, ultimately favoring the Parisians. Additionally, Cancelo conceded a penalty late in the game with the aggregate score tied at 4-4. Following the foul by Barcelona's number 2, it was Kylian Mbappe who temporarily made it 1-3 at the Olympic Stadium in Montjuic.

Just five days later, in El Clásico, Cancelo had another forgettable performance. It was again down the left side where Real Madrid created most of their opportunities, led by Lucas Vazquez.

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In the first half, Vazquez cut past Cancelo before being brought down by Pau Cubarsi to equalize at 1-1. As the match progressed, the Madrid side made it 2-2 in a play that mirrored PSG's goal, where the Portuguese defender was exposed, leaving his flank uncovered, allowing the opponents to conclude a counterattack with a goal against.

Towards the end of El Clásico, Cancelo was once again overrun by the Madrid attack, as poor marking on Lucas Vazquez allowed the Galician full-back to cross the ball to Vinicius, ultimately resulting in the 3-2 scoreline against.

Without a doubt, Cancelo was a key figure in Barcelona's recent shortcomings. However, it doesn't detract from the quality that characterized him during his time with Manchester City, a club he will return to in June 2024 if Barcelona does not bid for the Portuguese's services.