Barcelona boss Luis Enrique has claimed that Real Betis made it difficult for his team during Wednesday's La Liga clash at Camp Nou.
Betis managed to upset the home side's rhythm in the early stages but fell 1-0 behind in the 29th minute, before Lionel Messi doubled Barcelona's lead in the 33th minute.
A second-half double from Luis Suarez made it an uncomfortable evening for Betis, but Enrique has paid tribute to the visiting team for making it tough for stages of the match.
"We had to work very hard from the outset. It wasn't smooth, neither did we create many chances, and it's a credit to the intensity with which Betis defended," Enrique told reporters. "We weren't fluid and found it difficult, but we feel like we played in line with recent games."
The win for Barcelona ensured that they would top the La Liga table ahead of both Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid entering 2016.
Matt Law
