FC Barcelona manager Luis Enrique revealed that he was satisfied with a point after his side squandered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Villarreal at El Madrigal.
A dubious penalty scored by Neymar put Barcelona 2-0 up 20 minutes after Ivan Rakitic had given them the lead. Referee Jose Sanchez awarded Barcelona a controversial penalty on the stroke of half time after Villarreal keeper Sergio Asenjo was wrongly adjudged to have brought down Neymar in the penalty box.
However, the home side came out rejuvenated in the second half and an early goal scored by the in-form Cedric Bakambu cut their deficit by half. A Jeremy Mathieu own goal five minutes later then levelled the scores. Eventually, the Yellow Submarine survived a late onslaught from the Spanish champions to earn a well deserved point at El Madrigal.
Enrique satisfied with a point against gritty Villarreal
Speaking to the media after his side’s 2-2 draw at El Madrigal, Barcelona manager Luis Enrique expressed his satisfaction with the point gained against Villarreal.
“Our nearest rivals lost yesterday so we have gained a point. It’s a positive day for us as we’re one point closer to our objective,” said Luis Enrique (via ESPN FC).
“We were close to getting three points but we also nearly lost, so I’m positive. Every point we gain on the team chasing us is fantastic.
“Once the game began, our players understood how the game was going to be. We weren’t distracted, but Villarreal have a great understanding,
“We’re one point closer to our objective.”
? Luis Enrique post game press conf. – “The game was tough against quality opposition” #FCBlive pic.twitter.com/pUYIZi6EJU
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 20, 2016
Barcelona firmly on track to win La Liga despite Villarreal stumble
Barcelona missed out on the opportunity to extend their lead at the top of the league table to 11 points after squandering a two-goal advantage to draw against Villarreal. Second place Atletico Madrid lost further ground on the Spanish champions after losing 2-1 on the road against relegation-threatened Sporting de Gijon on Saturday.
Marcelino’s Villarreal, currently occupying 4th position in the league table, have one of the best home records in the country. Hence, a draw at El Madrigal does not represent a bad result for the Catalan giants.
Furthermore, Barcelona’s closest rivals Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid will have one eye on their respective Champions League quarter-final ties two weeks from now. Despite ending their 12-match winning run at El Madrigal, Barcelona remain firmly on course to retain their La Liga title come the end of the season.
? Rakitic: “We worked hard, with intensity and Villarreal are one of the best teams in the league” #FCBlive pic.twitter.com/c1IPwB8CWe
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 20, 2016
