Sunday’s loss was Barca’s third straight reverse in the league for the first time since 2003, leaving them level on points with Atletico, who they led by nine at the start of April, and a point ahead of Real.
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It leaves Barca and Atletico – four days on from the latter eliminating the former from the Champions League – both on 76 points, with Real Madrid a point worse off in third with five more rounds of league games to come.
The landmark comes 11 years after he scored his first senior goal against Albacete in May 2005 as a 17 year old.
Barca are now joint-top of the Spanish standings alongside Atletico Madrid, with Real Madrid just a point behind, yet Enrique backs his side to register the five wins necessary to defend their La Liga crown.
“Our margin for error has run out and we are aware of the challenge”, he said, denying that fatigue has been a factor. Moreover, their Champions League campaign was ended by the same side at the quarter-final stage last week.
The dip in play for Barca has come as Messi has gone through a goal-scoring drought-his 500th career goal snapped a streak of over 500 minutes without a score-and now the team must bounce back if they hope to win the title this year.
Although he insisted physical issues were not to blame he said, his players had to “know how to overcome this sort of situation by remaining true to their ideas and by playing football”.
Barcelona had humiliated a Valencia side, coached by Gary Neville, 7-0 in a King’s Cup semi-final game in February but had a much tougher time against successor Pako Ayesteran’s side and went behind when Guilherme Siqueira’s cross bounced off Rakitic and beyond Claudio Bravo.
Koke ensured Atletico would have no hangover from their efforts in dispatching Barca from the Champions League in midweek as he swept home the opener on 15 minutes before teeing up Torres to dink home just before the hour mark. Atletico defeated Granada 3-0.
Coach Luis Enrique has to turn things around as they travel to face Deportivo la Coruna, whose 1-1 draw in Seville on Sunday virtually assured their top flight presence for next season.
However, he was confident a win in the Riazor Stadium could change everything.
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“If we play like we did against Valencia we will win the league, I am certain of that”, said Pique, who will be suspended for the trip to Galicia after picking up his 10th yellow card of the season. “If it’s due to psychology, then we have the best psychologist around (at the club)”, he added.
