Luis Enrique: 'Barcelona deserved defeat to Malaga'

Luis Enrique has conceded that his Barcelona side deserved to lose after suffering a 1-0 defeat to Malaga at the Camp Nou.

Barcelona were bidding to overtake La Liga leaders Real Madrid before their fierce rivals return to action against Elche on Sunday, but Juanmi scored the only goal of the game from a weak Dani Alves back-pass as the Catalan club slipped up in their title bid.

"It's a result that hurts," Enrique told reporters. "Malaga played very well and I wish it was an accident, but I have to say we were beaten and maybe it was deserved.

"In the first half I thought we played well but Malaga took advantage of the one mistake that we made. Mistakes are mistakes; it wasn't our best day individually or collectively.

"We attacked too much in the centre of the pitch. We weren't effective in the final third and that was our biggest problem."

Barcelona will now turn their attention to the Champions League ahead of Tuesday's first leg of their last-16 tie with Manchester City.