Photo: Reuters

Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde admitted his players had Chelsea on their minds during their 2-0 win over Malaga on Saturday.

Valverde also admitted Barcelona must have to suffer to beat Chelsea and progress to the next round of the Champions League.

“In the second half we began to subconsciously think about the match on Wednesday,” Valverde said after Barcelona’s 2-0 win over Malaga.

“Scoring early here was crucial, the red card made the match easier for us. We will have to suffer to progress past Chelsea.”