Despite Barcelona registering a third successive league defeat for the first time since 2003, Luis Enrique remained upbeat about his team’s chances of winning the title.
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Barcelona was nine points clear of Atletico Madrid just a few weeks ago and appeared on course to defend its Spanish title, but the Catalan club hasn’t won in four straight league games and its 39-game unbeaten streak was halted by a home loss to Real Madrid this month.
Atletico Madrid and Barcelona are now level on points, with Real Madrid just one point behind.
Nevertheless, Luis Enrique was pleased with Barcelona’s performance and is confident they can win their remaining five games to be crowned champions again. “We’re going to approach it like a Barca player always does, with our heads held high”.
“I can only praise my players”, he said. It was only the team’s third game under new coach Pako Ayestaran, who replaced the fired Gary Neville. The last two times these two sides met, both matches ended in a draw and Barcelona can not afford a draw here.
“And we had enough chances, played well enough, to do that”.
Lionel Messi scored his 500th career goal for club and country to reduce the deficit midway through the second half, but was unable to inspire a comeback.
“You have to know how to lose when you lose and now we have a marvellous challenge, five games in which if we win them all we are champions”.
All of Barcelona’s opponents are 13th or worse in the 20-team standings, while Atletico has to play at fifth-place Athletic Bilbao and against sixth-place Celta Vigo at home in the final match.
“I did not make any changes as it would have [been] unfair on great game that my players were having”, responded Luis Enrique, when it was suggested that he lacked confidence in possible replacements to his first choices.
Barca’s “MSN” South American strikeforce, who have scored 110 of the team’s 147 goals this season in all competitions, have suddenly gone off the boil and the most common reason cited by Spanish media for their loss of form is fatigue.
Deportivo host Barca on Wednesday, while they welcome Madrid on the final day of the season.
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Dani Alves hardly aided matters on Friday by publishing a video in which the Brazilian defender wore a wig and told fans not to worry about the Champions League exit because it was “just a game of football”, in a video that has been roundly criticised.
