Suarez certain Barca can shake its winter blues
Barcelona striker Luis Suarez said his team is “obliged” to chase down Real Madrid, despite losing more ground on the La Liga leader after a 1-1 draw at Villarreal on Sunday.
Even a fabulous last-minute Lionel Messi freekick could not prevent Barca falling five points behind Madrid, which has a game in hand, after Nicola Sansone put Villarreal ahead just after halftime.
The draw capped a poor return to action in the new year for Barca after losing the first leg of their Copa del Rey last-16 tie at Athletic Bilbao on Thursday.
“We are aware that we are Barcelona and we are obliged to fight for all the titles,” Suarez told Movistar.
Barca hosts Bilbao in the return leg on Wednesday hoping to avoid a first Copa exit to anyone other than Madrid since 2008.
“What matters now is the cup game on Wednesday,” said Suarez. “We have to go out from the first minute to win the game and qualify.”
Suarez had an unusually quiet as most of Barca’s opportunities fell the way of strike partners Neymar and Messi.
“Villarreal has shown all season they are very difficult to play against at home. We had our chance sin the second half, but we couldn’ t take them until Leo’s goal,” added Suarez.
“We’ve let two points get away, but we just have to keep working hard.”
Barca boss Luis Enrique thought his side did enough to win, despite a familiar lack of cutting edge up front and fragility at the back this season.
“Without doubt I think we deserved to win the game,” Enrique said.
“We played well. We are not on the most positive run and you have to do more to win these type of games, but I have no criticism for my players.
“They played a complete game and we deserved the three points.”
Enrique is confident Barca can catch Madrid.
“There is still half the season to go and I am sure we will have the chance to fight for the league,” he added.
“The only chance we will have to fight for it, though, is by getting back to winning soon.”
Off the field, rumors from Croatia claimed on Sunday that Barca midfielder Ivan Rakitic could be off to Manchester City after being left out of Enrique’s squad.
However, Barca vice-president Jordi Mestre said the Croatian was “loved” at Camp Nou and that talks were ongoing to extend his contract beyond 2019.
“We are in the process of negotiating Rakitic’s renewal,” Mestre said.