Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino has admitted concern over the prospect of the champions losing their Spanish lead for the first time in 60 matches following their shock 3-2 defeat by Valencia at Camp Nou on Saturday in the La Liga.
Following the defeat after a record 59-game run at the top, Barcelona is level on points with second-placed Atletico Madrid, while longtime rival Real Madrid can move two points above the Catalan team with victory at sixth-placed Athletic Bilbao.
According to CNN, a worried Martino said that Barcelona's season has turned upside down after the club's first home league defeat in 25 matches, adding that they are now playing in a completely different competition.
However, Martino, who is in his first season in charge, said that they will try to regain the ground that they would most likely lose this weekend as they still have to play against their direct rivals, adding that he wants the club to bounce back from this spot as soon as possible.
Barcelona led through Alexis Sanchez but Daniel Parejo and Pablo Piatti put midtable Valencia head with goals either side of halftime and although Lionel Messi leveled with his first La Liga goal in four months when a penalty was awarded, Francisco Alcacer restored the lead in the 59th minute before Jordi Alba collected his second booking.
It was Barcelona's first league defeat at Camp Nou since April 2012, and only second in 22 league matches this season, and the report mentioned that the club would next play seventh-placed Sevilla.