Luis Enrique hails Barcelona fighting spirit after Leverkusen comeback

Barcelona coach Luis Enrique praised the spirit his side showed in the absence of Lionel Messi to overcome Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 on Tuesday.

The European champions were without their talisman for the Champions League clash and suffered, going down first to Kyriakos Papadopoulos' goal before struggling to break through a compact Leverkusen defence.

Late goals from Sergi Roberto and Luis Suarez eventually turned the tide though, and the coach was pleased with the mental strength his side displayed.

"This team has a special fighting spirit. It was our second game without our best player Messi and second win," the coach told reporters after the match.

"All the players had that same spirit today, they fought until the end. I was satisfied with Neymar. Every player gives everything. Comparing them to Messi makes no sense."

However, Enrique was not happy with the crowd before the team turned the game around, stating: "We needed more support from the crowd when things weren't going our way.

"The team deserves more credit. You should support the team before, not only when it's going well. The players run and go all out in every game, they deserve all the credit.

"Sometimes you win through belief, sometimes with the heart, sometimes with confidence. They also had chances. This result strengthens the team.

"If we hadn't won we wouldn't be top of the group but we knew this team would make things very difficult."

Andres Iniesta was forced off in the second half with what was later confirmed as a hamstring injury, and reports suggest the Spain international could face up to three weeks on the sidelines, joining the likes of Messi and Rafinha there.