Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard admitted his team did not perform very well in Saturday's Primera Liga match against Levante. The Liga champions were held to a 1-1 away draw after Deco's first-half opener was cancelled out by Alvaro in the 77th minute. Rijkaard insisted he never, through out the game, believed his team will return to Nou Camp with the three points. "We didn't presume we'd win at any stage," the Dutch technician was quoted as saying by Barcelona's website after the game. "This type of game is one that you know will be difficult in advance and you can't resolve with goals. You have to suffer until the end." Rijkaard said that his players lacked depth on the field and hailed Levante's players who gave them a run for the money.
Rijkaard "(Barcelona's players) had to keep fighting until the last minute in a difficult place to come to. "They (Levante) pressured us really well, with energy and application, especially in the second half," he said. "We lost some balls and at times we lacked depth." Rijkaard had to play Saturday's game without star playmaker Ronaldinho as Barca prepare for a crucial UEFA Champions League match against Werder Bremen on Tuesday. The European champions need to win the decisive Group A match at Nou Camp in order to advance to the knockout stages. In addition to resting Ronaldinho, Rijkaard was forced to substitute goal-scorer Deco to avoid further exhaustion to the Portuguese international. "Deco scored a great goal," said Rijkaard. "He is a very important man for us but we have to think about other things," referring to Tuesday's game. "All of us, players and coaching staff are confident and preparing ourselves fully for the match," added Rijkaard.
