Barcelona Rode Their Luck Against Alaves – Ernesto Valverde

Ernesto Valverde admitted Barcelona were a bit fortunate as they came from behind to beat Alaves 2-1 to extend their unbeaten start to the La Liga campaign to 21 games.

However, Alaves were left feeling aggrieved as they were denied a late penalty when Samuel Umtiti handled the ball in the area.

“I’ve not seen it again,” Valverde said in his postgame news conference. “[Alaves] complained that there was a handball. I see it from a Barcelona perspective, of course, and I think that it was involuntary. I don’t know.

“I asked Umtiti and save cutting off his hand we don’t think there’s anything else he can do about it. For me it’s involuntary, but everyone will see it from their own point of view.”

“Sometimes the ball goes in and you don’t get a goal, other times this can happen,” he added. “There are always controversial moments in games, sometimes they go against us, other times they go in our favour.”

“Without a doubt,” he said when asked if Barca had rode their luck at times. “We’re in a tough phase of the season, with a lot of games close together, midweek, weekend, and that leads to lots of wear and tear.

“We just played a really tense game on Thursday [against Espanyol] and are straight back at it tonight. If you get the first goal and are in front, it’s easier but if not … I have the feeling that we have dodged a bullet.”