Barca under pressure from after mediocre showings

MADRID » Lionel Messi’s 90thminute winner against promoted Leganes did little to ease tensions at Barcelona, which finds itself in the unusual position of having to make peace with its fans.

There were jeers throughout the lackluster win over Leganes at Camp Nou on Sunday, prompting some players and coach Luis Enrique to leave the field discontent, and demanding more support from the crowd.

It’s a relatively new situation for Barcelona, which has been dominant in world soccer for the last decade. And it could get even worse if the club is unable to earn a good result against rival Atletico Madrid next weekend at Vicente Calderon Stadium, where the host has won four in a row in the Spanish league.

“Right now, the players don’t need to hear whistling, they need support,” Luis Enrique said. “For me, it makes no sense for a fan to jeer the players of his team. What can help is the support that we saw from the majority of the fans, that’s what makes us stronger.”