Barcelona's top scorer Luis Suarez says the European champions are feeling the effects of their hectic schedule across six competitions this season ahead of their return to Uefa Champions League action against Arsenal on Tuesday.
Suarez netted his 41st goal of the season as Barca opened up a nine-point lead over Atletico Madrid at the top of the Primera Liga thanks to a hard-fought 2-1 win at Las Palmas on Saturday.
Victory was Barca’s eighth straight in the league, part of a 32-game unbeaten run in all competitions stretching back to October.
However, the visibly jaded European champions had to withstand a late onslaught from relegation-threatened Las Palmas to protect Neymar’s first-half winner.
“To win titles you have to suffer and we’ve now had a couple of games away from home where we have struggled,” Suarez told Canal Plus.
“It is not an excuse, but we know we have played a lot of games in the last month and a half. Players always want to play as many games as possible and have that rhythm.”
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Barca went ahead after just six minutes as Suarez extended his lead over Cristiano Ronaldo as the league’s top scorer with his 25th Primera Liga goal of the campaign.
Andres Iniesta’s perfectly weighted pass freed Jordi Alba down the left and his low cross was fired into the roof of the net by Suarez at the back post.
However, just as in their win at Sporting Gijon in midweek, Barca conceded minutes after scoring the opener as Jonthan Viera’s brilliant backheel teed up Jose to drive home the equaliser.
Unlike the majority of Barca’s opponents, Las Palmas were determined to take the game to the visitors, but in doing so left themselves exposed at the back against the most feared attacking trio in the world.
Javi Varas made fine saves to deny Messi and Iniesta in quick succession before Suarez somehow headed wide when completely unmarked from Messi’s free kick.
However, the former Liverpool striker redeemed himself with brilliant play down the right in the build-up to Barca’s second as from his cutback Varas again denied Messi, but the ball fell perfectly for Neymar to slam home the rebound on 39 minutes which proved to be the end of the scoring
Despite Barca’s pending trip to the Emirates Stadium, manager Luis Enrique rested only Gerard Pique, while Sergio Busquets was also suspended.
And after 17 games in the last two months, including a trip to Japan for the Club World Cup, the coach said he can ask little more from his squad.
“When you have to play every two or three days, the only thing I can ask is that they compete and that is what we did,” he said.
“We can be more or less precise, have more control, but I am happy with what I saw.
“It is another round of games when we have played first and extended the advantage. Now we have to wait and see what the others do.”
Atletico face a tough test if they are to keep pace with Barca when fourth-placed Villarreal visit the Vicente Calderon today.
Meanwhile, Zinedine Zidane’s Real Madrid – who are now 10 points adrift of Barca in third – will have to do without both Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale for the tricky trip to Malaga.
“At the very least we will maintain the difference with those that are chasing us,” said Barca defender Javier Mascherano.
“We are another game closer to the objective, but [the lead] is not definitive yet.”
Mascherano was moved from defence into midfield in the final stages as Luis Enrique introduced an extra defender to try to protect Barca’s lead.
And the Argentine believes the champions had themselves to blame for such a tight finish after missing chances to kill the game off before half-time.
“Perhaps we could have killed the game earlier. We didn’t manage it and then it is normal with such a tight result that we suffered towards the end.”
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