Ernesto Valverde: 'Everything went against Barcelona at Espanyol'

Ernesto Valverde has insisted that he is more than happy with Barcelona's 1-1 draw at city rivals Espanyol as "everything was going against" his side.

The La Liga pacesetters left the RCDE Stadium with a share of the spoils on Sunday after Gerard Pique netted an 82nd-minute goal to cancel out Gerard Moreno's opener.

Barca had to dig deep to salvage a point in difficult conditions, with the pitch waterlogged in places due to heavy rain, and Valverde was therefore proud to see his side bounce back at the home of their rivals.

"We fought well and had to change our way of playing because of the circumstances," he told reporters after the match. "That's why we value the draw very much, because everything was going against us.

"We thought the pitch would be OK, but at half time we saw that it could become dangerous. Therefore, we had to try long balls and more strategic plays, but in the end, Pique's goal arrived."

Barcelona, who are nine points clear of second-placed Atletico Madrid, return to action on Thursday evening with a Copa del Rey semi-final showdown with Valencia.