Barcelona must appreciate matching the club's record of nine wins and a draw in their first 10 games of a Liga campaign, especially after Real Madrid's defeat at Girona, coach Ernesto Valverde told a news conference on Monday.

Barca rode their luck to beat Athletic Bilbao 2-0 away on Saturday to maintain a four-point gap at the top of the table, thanks to an outstanding display from goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen and a Raul Garcia shot that bounced off the bar.

On Sunday, Spanish and European champions Real blew a 1-0 halftime lead to lose 2-1 against Girona, who are playing in the top flight for the first time in their 87-year history.

Real are now eight points behind their arch-rivals.

Barca won 3-0 at Girona last month and only dropped points in a 1-1 draw at Atletico Madrid. They also have a perfect record in the Champions League and could reach the last 16 if they win at Valverde's old club Olympiakos Piraeus on Tuesday