Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola was satisfied with his side's tough 1-0 away win at Sporting Gijon on Saturday night.

The La Liga league leaders found it hard to get going against the league minnows and could only manage one goal all night, courtesy of youth striker Pedro.

Speaking to Marca after the game, Guardiola said: "It was a good victory in a stadium where few have won."

"This win carries a lot of merit. We did not make the best decisions in the final third, which prevented the margin from being greater.

"We are happy with our defensive play, since they did not create as many chances as Tenerife or Villarreal.

"Anything could have happened with the two free-kicks Sporting had at the end."

Elsewhere, Espanyol beat Athletic Bilbao 1-0 while Real Madrid secured maximum points with a 3-1 win over Deportivo La Coruna at the Riazor stadium.