Barcelona defender Jeremy Mathieu has said that teammate Gerard Pique was 'reluctant towards him' when he first arrived at the Camp Nou last summer.

The two defenders were not paired together on too many occasions at the start of the season, but they have formed a strong centre-back partnership over the last few games.

"At first it was difficult because I felt he was a bit reluctant towards me," Marca has quoted Mathieu as saying. "After several games we created a bit of a relationship and now I think everything is better."

Javier Mascherano missed out on a spot in the Barca XI at the weekend, with Pique and Mathieu preferred for the 2-2 draw at Sevilla.