Luis Enrique: Barca deserved to win

Luis Enrique was left frustrated after Barcelona crashed to back-to-back La Liga defeats on Saturday.

Barcelona were stunned by Luis Enrique’s former side Celta Vigo, who ran out shock 1-0 winners at Camp Nou courtesy of Joaquin Larrivey’s 55th-minute strike.

The Catalan giants were looking to return to winning ways after their 3-1 El Clasico humbling to Real Madrid last weekend but they walked away empty-handed, despite dominating throughout.

Luis Enrique blamed the setback on the unrelenting nature of football, promising not to blow the result out of proportion.

“I already knew the opponent’s predisposition so I was expecting a game like this,” Luis Enrique said. “I’d rather like to control it better in more aspects.

“However, I think Celta tried to create lots [of] chances, but not that many, two of them were pretty clear and the last one was due to our last minute pressing.

“They are a very uncomfortable team, but despite this we have created 19 shots, nine on goal, four hit the posts. So, even if we have had some mistakes and things to rectify I want to point out some values, mainly the players’ faith and their attitude.

“I think we deserved to win this match. Unfortunately, football is a capricious sport that only rewards the team who scores goals, I mean the team that it is effective and today we haven’t done that, Celta’s goalkeeper has done amazing and today it wasn’t our day and we had this scoreline.

“Moreover it happens in a ‘friendly’ week, in an interesting week and in a week where the time of criticism starts.

“But it is our responsibility to stand up, all of us, the stuff, the managers, the players, the club. We have to move forward.”

Consecutive defeats meant Barca slipped to third in the table behind leaders Real and defending champions Atletico Madrid.

But Luis Enrique is not worried about the team’s poor run of results.

“If I noticed problems in the players’ attitude that I didn’t like, I’d be worried,” the 44-year-old added.

“I am annoyed as the players are because they couldn’t win a game that would have helped us to change this negative trend, but these kinds of games are part of the season and the process.

“Obviously I’d like these things not to happen. Sometimes you can’t control the game because there is an opponent in front of you.

“Normally we would have to win these kinds of games, regarding all the chances we had, but today it wasn’t the day.”