Valverde accepts Barcelona under pressure after Slavia stalemate

Ernesto Valverde admitted Barcelona are in a rut after y followed up ir La Liga defeat by Levante with a goalless draw at home to Slavia Prague on Tuesday in Champions League. Lionel Messi hit crossbar in first half but that was as close as Barca came during a disjointed display that risks dragging Valverde's team back into fight for qualification from Group F. " or day we lost against Levante and we kw this was t one of our best games eir," Valverde said. "We haven't been convincing eir on Saturday or today and we kw re is a lot of pressure w on team. We have to respond."

Barcelona play Dortmund at home next and will hope progress is secured before ir final game against Inter Milan at San Siro. likelihood is y have already done eugh to make last 16 but Valverde will face scrutiny, this blunt performance coming only three days after his side were beaten 3-1 by Levante in La Liga. If that loss was defined by three goals conceded in seven mad minutes, this one was far less dramatic, a story of stodgy possession in front of ir own fans, whose displeasure made for an increasingly sour atmosphere at Camp u.

As a dejected Messi stood with his hands on his hips in centre circle at final whistle, t even blast of stadium music could drown out whistles. "In football today and with teams like ours, it is all about winning and winning emphatically," Valverde said. "It is never eugh. season begins and re isn't talk of winning a title, re is talk of winning three or four. So frustration when you don't win a game is high." Slavia's players saluted ir own supporters like y had pulled off a remarkable upset.

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Pique pleads for 'patience'

After all, this was only third time in 29 Champions League matches that Barcelona have failed to win at home, or two against Juventus and Tottenham last season, when Catalans had already qualified. ir night was made worse by Jordi Alba being forced off at half-time with a hamstring injury while Gerard Pique's yellow card means he will be suspended for game against Dortmund. "I would ask for a little patience," added Pique. "We are t playing at level we expect. We have to improve."

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Slavia's pace in attack caused Barcelona problems in first 45 minutes, which for home side was illuminated only by occasional moment from Messi. Clement Lenglet almost conceded an early penalty when Marc-Andre ter Stegen pushed a pull-back into defender's chest while Pique accepted his booking after being robbed of ball by Peter Olayinka. Olayinka, Slavia's gangly forward, was particularly lively as he teed up Lukas Masopust for a shot inside area before skipping away from Nelson Semedo, who also had to take a yellow card.

Barcelona were sloppy in possession and lackluster out of it. Ousmane Dembele was erratic and Antoine Griezmann, still playing on left despite Luis Suarez's injury, was quiet. It was up to Messi to lift mood and he almost scored with a brilliant run from halfway line that began with a drop of shoulder and ended with a bending shot against crossbar. Both sides had goals ruled out for offside eir of half-time, which was greeted by whistles from home fans, who grew increasingly restless as Barca failed to improve. y whistled again at Dembele when he was replaced by Ansu Fati and re were groans at mistakes too, like when Semedo headed out for a corner or Lenglet miscontrolled for a throw. Messi went close but his finish at near post hit goalkeeper before Ivan Rakitic, on for Sergio Busquets, curled over late on. When Arturo Vidal stretched but fell short at far post, game was up. 

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