Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde has defended Yerry Mina following Sunday's 5-4 defeat at Levante.

The Catalan giants saw their hopes of ending the 2017-18 La Liga campaign unbeaten finish courtesy of the loss in Valencia at the weekend.

Mina, who joined Barcelona from Palmeiras in the early stages of 2018, was handed a rare start at the centre of defence, and the 23-year-old has been widely criticised following the match.

Valverde, however, has insisted that the Colombia international "showed personality" during the clash.

"Mina? You see the result, we conceded a few goals and people suddenly think the defenders had a horrible game. Yerry showed personality at certain moments of the game, like the others," Valverde told reporters.

Mina has been strongly linked with a loan move to Liverpool in recent days.