Having Lionel Messi is always a huge advantage: Ernesto Valverde

Leeds: Barcelona head coach Ernesto Valverde has said that having Lionel Messi in the team is 'always a huge advantage'.

"In games which are even and hard, to have Leo is always a huge advantage," Goal.com quoted Valverde as saying.

Barcelona defeated Atletico Madrid with the help of Messi's strike in the 86th minute of the match.

Valverde said he liked everything in the match despite agreeing they suffered at the beginning.

"I liked everything. We suffered at the start and we've got the three points. We don't have to think about the bad things now. You have to suffer here but we have won and picked up three really important points, which is what is important," he said.

Barcelona now hold the top spot in La Liga's points table with 31 points.