The early season woes for manager Ronald Koeman and Barcelona continued on La Liga matchday eight as the Catalan side came away with a 2-0 away defeat against Atletico Madrid.

Barca's sluggish play on both ends of the pitch marred its performance on the day. From the mere two shots on target recorded to the multitude of positional errors by its defensive line, it was a showing to forget, as Barca has now gone five straight matches without a win against Atletico Madrid in all competitions.

Barca defender Gerard Pique earned a start in the fixture and was faced with the challenge of containing the likes of Joao Felix and former club teammate Luis Suarez. While the Catalan powerhouse allowed two goals to Atletico Madrid, much frustration for Pique from the result has centered on the team's lackadaisical production upfront, which the veteran defender spoke about after the match.

“We started well,” Pique said. “We went after them. We were brave. They gave us superiority. They scored two goals with very little time, and after that, we could go three hours and not score a goal.

“It's difficult. It's complicated. We are suffering, I have to be honest. We have to keep fighting, working. We have to rest and disconnect and come back stronger.”

The pressure has now once again mounted on Barca manager Ronald Koeman, although club president Joan Laporta did note ahead of the fixture against Atletico Madrid that the Dutchman will stay on for the time being. The Catalan side not only sits in last place in its UEFA Champions League group but also holds ninth place in the La Liga standings.

Pique did touch on Koeman’s future with Barca, where he revealed his mindset on this matter.

“As players, we cannot get involved, there is little we can do,” Pique said. “We have to go out to the pitch and do our best and there are days when it turns out well and others where it does not.”

Barcelona will resume league play following the October international break with a key home fixture against Valencia, which may be tabbed as a must-win contest for the Dutch manager.