Barcelona defender Gerard Pique has insisted that his side will still win La Liga despite a run of three successive defeats.
Luis Enrique's side were nine points clear at the top at the start of the month, but the terrible run of form has seen their points advantage completely wiped out to ensure that the battle for the title will be a three-horse race.
Speaking after his side lost to Valencia at Camp Nou on Sunday, Pique claimed that Barca will end the season top of the pile if they continue to play with the same determination.
"People wanted a competitive league and there you have it," the Spaniard told reporters. "Football is football, so wonderful but sometimes so cruel.
"The feelings [today] are different from other days. Sometimes the ball doesn't want to go in the net because we could've been 3-1 or 4-1 up.
"[Now] it's a fantastic challenge to be playing rubbish and then have to find title-winning form again. If we play like this we'll win the league, I'm convinced of that."
Barcelona travel to mid-table Deportivo La Coruna on Wednesday for the first of five games remaining this season.
Neil Wilkes
