Barcelona manager Luis Enrique is likening his side's route to a hopeful La Liga title like the Tour de France – "get to the key stages with a chance of winning".
Enrique's Barca will take on Sevilla on Sunday in Spain, with the Jorge Sampaoli-managed upstarts in fourth two points from Barcelona and level with Atletico Madrid
Real Madrid are leaders, two points ahead of Barca.
But Enrique is not worried about such a deficit this early in the season, he said. He in fact rounded on his critics and called for patience in judging his side until the end of the season.
“If I look at our first 40 minutes in Manchester, I think they are the best minutes of our era since I have been coach,” he said of the midweek Champions League defeat to Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.
“There is desperation to praise or criticise very quickly, but there has to be more rationality when analysing teams. At the end of the season is when I think it is just.
“You have a very recent example in our first year (2014/15). You (the media) vilified the coaching team and in the end we were the coaching staff that won most titles in the world that year.”
The defeat against former Barca manager Guardiola was Barca’s third in their last 12 games.
And with Real Madrid facing the easier challenge of Leganes at home and an two-week international break to come, Enrique is determined not to lose more ground in the title race.
“This is like the Tour of Spain or Tour de France (in cycling). You have to try not to lose it in the early stages to get to the key stages with a chance of winning.
“That means getting to February or March with a real and clear chance to win all of the titles. That is our objective.”
Enrique also believes Sevilla will pose a serious threat to Spain's established top three in the title race.
“Without any doubt for what they have shown until now,” said Enrique on Saturday when quizzed on Sevilla’s ability to launch a title challenge.
Also see
• Ian Hawkey: Jorge Sampaoli has made Sevilla exciting, bold, and maybe even a real title threat in Spain
Sevilla have already beaten Atletico in winning all seven home games since Barca last visited in the Spanish Super Cup in August.
Barca meanwhile have looked increasingly brittle in recent weeks without the injured Gerard Pique and Andres Iniesta, contributing to their jarring defeat to City.
Pique, Iniesta and Jordi Alba are all missing once more for the trip to Sevilla.
Enrique is expected to make just change from the side that started against City with Rafinha or Arda Turan replacing Andre Gomes.
*Agence France-Presse
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