Barcelona star Lionel Messi could return to action as before long as Tuesday, mentor Ernesto Valverde mentioned immediately after the Blaugrana’s 3-two victory at Rayo Vallecano.
The earn was Barca’s 3rd straight without the need of Messi, who is now out with a broken bone in his appropriate arm. However, Valverde informed reporters just after the match that Messi could be back again for the La Liga leaders’ midweek trip to Milan, where Barca will deal with Inter in the Champions League.
“I think we all enjoy greater with Messi in the aspect,” Valverde mentioned. “We will see how he is in instruction [on Sunday] with regards to the Inter activity this 7 days.”
Luis Suarez scored twice in Vallecas as Camiseta Ivan Rakitic Barcelona had to arrive from powering to edge past Rayo Vallecano but the striker admitted Valverde had just about every ideal to be indignant with the team’s general performance soon after the match.
Suarez gave Barca an early direct but Rayo roared back again with ambitions from Jose Pozo and Alvaro Garcia as the La Liga leaders switched off.
The household aspect looked established to hold on to all a few details until substitute Ousmane Dembele equalised in the 87th moment, Camiseta Sergi Roberto supplying way to Suarez’s remarkable 90th-minute winner.
“I could comprehend if [Barca mentor] Valverde, irrespective of the get, is offended with us,” Suarez, who is now La Liga’s top scorer with nine targets, informed reporters.
“We, the players, have to be self-critical. Compact aspects at these grounds can make a large variation. It truly is locations like this wherever you can throw the league absent. It failed to materialize here, but we came near.”
Suarez, who has scored six times in his past 3 league video games, blamed Barca’s inadequate functionality on sloppiness immediately after using the direct.
“We calm a tiny bit immediately after getting in entrance,” he extra. “We would dominated the early levels but [Rayo] experienced 10 definitely excellent minutes prior to 50 %-time when they equalised.
“Maybe it was down to an excessive of self-assurance but we also have to give credit history to the opposition. They were in have to have of the factors and their supporters seriously pushed them on.
“The crucial matter is that we turned things all-around and picked up the three factors — primarily recognizing that Atletico Madrid experienced drawn previously.”
Barca are now four factors apparent of Atletico — whilst Alaves, Sevilla and Espanyol could all leapfrog Diego Simeone’s aspect before the finish of the weekend — and have won their previous 3 video games in La Liga subsequent a 4-match winless streak.
Valverde felt his facet had been worthy winners in the conclusion but admitted there have been factors of the overall performance he didn’t like.
“We have to be content with the end result,” he mentioned in a information convention. “Perhaps their first target came from us not managing the problem and dropping the ball two or 3 situations in a row. They grew from there.
“It was challenging. We generally want to enjoy soccer, whilst [it was tricky due to the fact] they sat back rather a large amount. It was challenging to crack them down. At 2-one down, we persevered and we, in the stop, we got the prize for urgent properly.”