"I prefer to lose against sides who play good football"

Match: “The game started off in the worst possible way. We played really badly in the first half. We tried to turn it around more with our hearts than our heads and we needed more control. I liked the second half more. Rulli, as is always the case against us, had a great game. We didn’t deserve to lose. But we are still leaders, with a three-point advantage. Making negative evaluations doesn’t help the team. Now we have to pick ourselves up when we leave this beautiful stadium that never does us any favours. At this stage last year we were only two points ahead of the second-placed team with our goal difference lost. This is an opportunity to show that we are the best team in the world, as it says on our shirts.”

No margin for error: “This was a warning shot. We haven’t been up to the necessary level in some matches this season and the team that are most convincing in the remaining matches will win the league this season. I want Camp Nou to be full to the rafters for the Valencia game.”

Mental response: “This kind of game weighs heavily on you. We couldn’t get close to them and we were unlucky in the second half. Everything is still there to be played for. I’m interested in seeing where we can improve. We’re not going to recover from this by crying. We’ll get over it by changing everything and thinking about what we can do with the team.”

Real Sociedad: “La Real are always a pain in the neck. I prefer to lose against sides who play good football, like La Real. Maybe I’ll come here for a steak sometime, but I won’t be coming to watch football.”