Valverde hopes goal against Atletico kick starts Suarez's season
Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde is eager to see how Luis Suarez responds after the Uruguayan ended a brief scoring drought during Saturday's 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid.
Suarez scored for just the third time in all competitions when he got on the end of Sergi Roberto's cross into the box and delivered a powerful header past Jan Oblak to bring Barcelona level during the Catalan side's maiden voyage to the Wanda Metropolitano.
Despite his joy over Suarez's goal, his first since scoring against Girona on Sept. 23, Valverde insisted that he was pleased with the 28-year-old's overall performance in Barcelona's attack, even if he had not added to his scoring tally.
"I thought he looked good, regardless of the goal," Valverde said, as translated by Samuel Marsden of ESPN FC.
"Obviously strikers live for goals and the confidence of a player can change (with goals). But when they score it seems as if everything is going for them and if (they're) not (scoring) then they're left in the shadows.
"In this case, (Suarez) scored a goal, he had a great chance after... But even before then, in the first half, he moved well around the area and we know how terrible the traffic was in their box with their players -- and ours, as well.
"The work he does for us is important and I hope it gives him confidence and he goes on a good scoring run."
The draw marked Barcelona's first blemish of the season after beginning the 2017-18 campaign with seven victories before Saturday's encounter.