Football
Dermot Corrigan, Madrid correspondent 9y

Luis Suarez on drought: 'I knew the goal was going to come'

Barcelona attacker Luis Suarez said what worries him most is not being able to help the team, after just his third La Liga goal for the club helped them to a 5-2 win at Athletic Bilbao on Sunday evening.

Suarez has managed 11 assists in all competitions since his 80 million euro summer move from Liverpool to the Camp Nou, but has often looked short of confidence when shooting for goal.

It seemed he was set for another frustrating night at San Mames, especially when Athletic goalkeeper Gorka Iraizoz made a wonder-save after it seemed the Uruguayan had headed in Lionel Messi's cross from point-blank range.

But soon afterwards Suarez ran onto a Messi pass and swept the ball into the net from 20 yards for his first goal in any competition since January 11, and he told Canal Plus on the final whistle that although he was criticial of his own performances at times, he knew he would soon find the net again.

"I am very self-critical with myself, you get heated in the moment, but I knew the goal was going to come, with the support of my family and my friends," Suarez said. "It was a spectacular save [from Iraizoz]. I thought, it's incredible, the ball did not want to go in. But I thought I would have another chance. I was not nervous, but what has worried me was when I felt I could not help the team as much as possible."

Messi continued his superb recent form by scoring one and playing a role in each of his side's other four goals, but Athletic were in the game for long periods, scoring twice themselves as the game swung back and forth before the Catalan side eventually took control.

Suarez said that getting three points at a ground where Barca had not won since the 2010-11 campaign was always going to require maximum intensity from him and his teammates.

"It was always going to be a difficult game against a tough rival, in a ground where they are very strong," he said. "We had the fortune to score quickly. ... Although they also fought until the end. We know that our intensity has to be at the maximum. You must match them in intensity because they play very well in that sense."

Athletic finished with 10 men after centre-back Xabier Etxeitia was red carded for a studs-up challenge on Suarez's knee, with the home fans then whistling the Barca number nine when he was substituted soon afterwards.

"The fans were unfair, but I will not make an issue of it," Suarez said. "They will see on the TV how the contact was."

Asked if he felt pressure to perform at the same stratospheric level as his fellow-South Americans Messi and Neymar, Suarez said he was just happy to be playing alongside such great players.

"It is a privilege to play alongside these two phenomenons," he said. "What I have to do is enjoy it."

^ Back to Top ^