“We could have played for 3 hours and still wouldn’t have scored” - Gerard Pique admits Barcelona are ‘suffering’ after 2-0 Atletico Madrid defeat

Barcelona found themselves in turbulent waters yet again after losing to defending champions Atletico Madrid at the Estadio Wanda Metropolitano.

The Catalans have struggled to hit the ground running, having won just two of their last five La Liga games. Gerard Pique has been pretty vocal about the phase in which the team finds itself right now. He didn't hesitate to reveal his thoughts after their humiliating loss to Diego Simeone's men.

This is what the Spanish defender had to say on the subject:

"It is not one problem, there are several. Despite this, I think we will recover. These are difficult times, we have not experienced them before. The atmosphere in the dressing room is very good, we want to turn it around."

He added:

"We could be playing football for 3 hours and we still wouldn't score a goal."

Gerard Pique's comments reiterate where Barcelona stands right now. Despite their victory against Levante at Camp Nou, the Catalans have looked devoid of any creativity or color.

Furthermore, they find themselves in a very vulnerable position defensively, as was visible last night against Atletico Madrid. Thomas Lemar and Luis Suarez were able to find the back of the net without much resistance.

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Lionel Messi's departure still haunting Barcelona?

The Catalans started off the season boasting a formidable line-up. However, things soon turned upside down as Lionel Messi bid a heartwrenching farewell and was reunited with Neymar Jr. at Paris Saint Germain.

Lionel Messi announces exit (Image via Barcelona club media)

Sadly, Barcelona's attack has looked stale ever since. The Catalans were defeated on the opening night of the Champions League for the first time against Bayern Munich. From 38 unbeaten European games at home to losing three in a row, Barcelona went from one unwanted record to another.

Several high-profile players have also been away from the roster because of injuries. These include Sergio Aguero, Martin Braithwate, Ousmane Dembélé, and Pedri.

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Ansu Fati returns in Messi's number 10 jersey

The 18-year-old returned to the Camp Nou after an injury that kept him out of play for over 323 days.

Interestingly, he picked up from where he had left off 10 months back. The Spanish prodigy seemed to look in good shape. He put the ball past Levante's defense in injury time, allowing Ronald Koeman to breathe a sigh of relief.

Fati celebrated the goal with family members and the club's medical staff. He required three operations on a knee injury. This had left fans wondering if he would return with the same gusto when he first broke into Barcelona's first team in 2019.