Feb 4, 2018 at 3.15pm UK at ​RCDE Stadium (Cornella de Llobregat)
Attendance: 23,287
Espanyol
1-1
Barcelona
Moreno (66')
Naldo (40'), Navarro (70'), Garcia (79'), Moreno (84'), Granero (85')
FT(HT: 0-0)
Pique (82')
Busquets (29'), Umtiti (52'), Alba (86')

Ernesto Valverde: 'Everything went against Barcelona at Espanyol'

Valverde: 'Everything went against us'
© SilverHub
Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde declares himself happy with the fighting spirit shown by his side to earn a late 1-1 draw against Espanyol in difficult conditions.

Ernesto Valverde has insisted that he is more than happy with Barcelona's 1-1 draw at city rivals Espanyol as "everything was going against" his side.

The La Liga pacesetters left the RCDE Stadium with a share of the spoils on Sunday after Gerard Pique netted an 82nd-minute goal to cancel out Gerard Moreno's opener.

Barca had to dig deep to salvage a point in difficult conditions, with the pitch waterlogged in places due to heavy rain, and Valverde was therefore proud to see his side bounce back at the home of their rivals.

"We fought well and had to change our way of playing because of the circumstances," he told reporters after the match. "That's why we value the draw very much, because everything was going against us.

"We thought the pitch would be OK, but at half time we saw that it could become dangerous. Therefore, we had to try long balls and more strategic plays, but in the end, Pique's goal arrived."

Barcelona, who are nine points clear of second-placed Atletico Madrid, return to action on Thursday evening with a Copa del Rey semi-final showdown with Valencia.

Share this article now:
Gerard Pique in action for Barcelona on October 19, 2016
Read Next:
Barca's Pique stands by Espanyol gesture
>
You May Like
Recomended from Sports Mole

Loading ...

Failed to load data.

Premier League
Championship
Scottish Cup
La Liga
Bundesliga
Serie A
Ligue 1
League One
League Two
National League
Scottish Championship
Scottish League One
Scottish League Two
Segunda Division
2.Bundesliga
Serie B
Ligue 2
Liga MX
Uruguayan Primera Division
Belgian Pro League
Australian A-League
Greek Superleague
Indian I-League
Eredivisie
Primeira Liga
Turkish Super Lig

Subscribe to our Newsletter


Transfer Talk Daily
Match previews - twice weekly
Morning Briefing (7am UTC)
Ultra close-up image of Kevin De Bruyne [NOT FOR USE IN ARTICLES]Get the latest transfer news, match previews and news direct to your inbox!
Tables
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Barcelona22184060114958
2Atletico MadridAtletico2214713392449
3Valencia22124642261640
4Real Madrid21116445212439
5Villarreal2211473326737
6Sevilla2210392834-633
7EibarEibar229583134-332
8Celta Vigo229493932731
9GironaGirona228773129231
10Real Betis2293103745-830
11Getafe227872621529
12Leganes218582021-129
13Athletic Bilbao2361072425-128
14Real Sociedad2275104140126
15Espanyol226791929-1025
16AlavesAlaves2271141932-1322
17Levante2231182032-1220
18Las PalmasLas Palmas2353151750-3318
19Deportivo La CorunaDeportivo2245132451-2717
20Malaga2234151435-2113
Login, I already have my ad-free pass
Log in with Facebook to customise Sports Mole
Buy ad-free access (show me the options)
Buy monthly ad-free access for £1.20/month
Buy yearly ad-free access for £12 (2 months free)
Settings - Logout - Manage your account
Settings - Logout - Manage your account