Barcelona assistant coach Jordi Roura acknowledged after Monday night's Primera Division clash at Valencia that his team were not as fresh as they have been in the past
Barca were indebted to goalkeeper Victor Valdes for producing two superb saves to secure a point at the Mestalla. Ever Banega opened the scoring for Valencia after 33 minutes, but their lead lasted just five minutes before Lionel Messi scored off a penalty spot after Pedro had was challenged in the box by Joao Pereira.
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Roura, overseeing first-team affairs with head coach Tito Vilanova still undergoing cancer treatment in USA, told Barca’s website: “Valencia’s intensity made it difficult for us to play our game and it was hard to get close to their area. Perhaps we didn’t create a lot of chances and we weren’t as fresh as we have been in the past.