Coach hails first-half show as Barca win

By Tim Hanlon BARCELONA (Reuters) - Barcelona coach Luis Enrique hailed the first half display in their 2-0 derby victory over Espanyol in La Liga on Saturday as the best of the season. The Catalan side look full of confidence, have 24 wins from their last 26 matches in all competitions and remain on course for a treble. "The team continues to grow and it was the best first half considering all aspects of our play so far,” Luis Enrique, in his first season at the helm, told a news conference. “We had a lot of possession in the opposition half and pressed a lot.” Barcelona continued to control the game despite having to play most of the second half with a man less following the dismissal of fullback Jordi Alba, who received two yellow cards in succession for complaining to the referee. “We will win games if we play like that. In the second half we did not suffer even though we had 10 men,” said Luis Enrique. Barca now have a five-point lead at the top of La Liga with second-place Real Madrid, who appear to have the more difficult run-in, facing Celta Vigo on Sunday. Luis Enrique's side still have to play a difficult away match against third-place Atletico Madrid, but Real have several tricky games ahead, including clashes against Sevilla in fifth and fourth-place Valencia. “That’s the case at first glance, but then you have to show it in each game,” said Luis Enrique. “It is down to us and that is the positive thing. It was a difficult game for us today as it was a derby and because of the opposition. We will now continue with the same attitude over the most important stage of the campaign. “I am not worried that the players are going to ease off as we all know that the games ahead are going to be difficult.” Barca are also in the semi-finals of the Champions League where they will face Bayern Munich and they will play Athletic Bilbao in the final of the King’s Cup. (Editing by Toby Davis)