“If we manage to turn this around and be champions, I can’t imagine how big a party we are going to have, but first we need to win our matches”, added Luis Enrique. “It will be hard because of where we will be playing and because of our opponent”. “We were superior in everything other than effectivity…but football is like that”, he said.
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Second-placed Atletico have bridged a nine-point gap and are only behind Luis Enrique’s side due to their inferior head-to-head record as they prepare to visit Athletic Bilbao.
Atletico Madrid players celebrate after teammate Jorge Resurreccion or Koke, celebrates after scoring the opening goal against Granada during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Granada at the Vicente Calderon stadium in Madrid, Sunday, April 17, 2016.
Barcelona and Real Madrid have dominated in Spain recently, winning the league title 10 of the last 11 seasons.
But while coach Marcelino was disappointed to come away from Vallecas with nothing, he still found time to praise his team’s efforts, with the game coming just three days after their 4-2 Europa League victory at Sparta Prague.
Real Madrid hosts Villarreal boosted by seven straight league wins, but coach Zinedine Zidane will be without the injured Gareth Bale.
Pique also remains optimistic that Barca will win the league.
“It is in our hands, but obviously we are in maximum difficulty”. You only have to watch him on the field to know it. Down by two goals by the end of the first half, they struggled to get back in the game despite creating a number of chances in the second half.
The Blaugrana also suffered European disappointment last week, as they crashed out of the Champions League to Atletico.
Valencia had several opportunities to put the game away in counterattacks, but the best scoring chance of the match was squandered by Barcelona defender Gerard Pique in the 89th. But after the 2-1 loss to Valencia at the Camp Nou on Sunday, Luis Enrique said anxiety has played a role in the team’s recent poor performances.
“A bad game for Neymar can still be a good game because he still does spectacular things”.
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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.
