Luis Enrique lauds FC Barcelona's 'character right to the end'

Luis Enrique was a mightily satisfied man after what he described as “a game packed with tension and intensity” at Mestalla on Saturday, in which Barça turned a hard-earned point into a magnificent three when Leo Messi converted an injury time penalty to get the better of Valencia.

But there was also cause for concern following a nasty-looking knee injury suffered by captain Andrés Iniesta. “We will have to wait and see what the full extent of the damage is” said the Barça manager in his post-match conference. “But he’s going to be out for a long time.”

Speaking more generally about the game, he commented that “we dominated at first and could have been leading by a lot more. Then in five manic minutes the game got away from us, but luckily we got back level and mounted a comeback … Towards the end of the game the team showed that they are very much alive.”

On the penalty that finally tipped the balance the way of the Catalans, Luis Enrique said that “Messi took the responsibility at the very best time and it was a glorious moment.”

“The way this game panned out says so much about this team, and they showed character right until the end. This was one of those days where collective effort shone through – the players showed how good they are at overcoming adversities.”