Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola has refused to blame his players after they dropped points in the 0-0 draw with Villarreal on Saturday.

The result leaves Real Madrid seven points clear at the top of La Liga, with 20 games played.

Despite the disappointing result, Guardiola refused to criticise his players for their performances. The former Barcelona captain instead insisted that his side will continue to "fight to the end".

"We played very well and ran a lot. I want to fight for every point like we fought tonight," Guardiola said after the match.

"I want to convey to my players that we will fight to the end. Now we have to win everything at our disposal.

"I have few criticisms. We have played an excellent game, but Villarreal are a team that have a lot of shots on goal and play very well if given space."

Barcelona face Valencia in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday night.