Barcelona looked well on their way to victory in the first Clasico of the season on Saturday, but two second half strikes from Jude Bellingham snatched victory for Real Madrid, much to the disappointment of the Catalan club.
Speaking after the defeat, Barcelona head coach Xavi Hernandez stated that his side deserved to win, but their lack of effectiveness in front of goal is what cost them against their bitter rivals.
Xavi’s words to his disappointed squad post-match were similar. As Diario AS have reported, we told his players that he was pleased with their performance against Real Madrid, and to continue performing like that going forward.
“You can be proud of your work. Believe me when I tell you that by playing like this, we will win the league.”
Pride seemed to be the overriding emotional for Barcelona following Saturday’s loss, although midfielder Ilkay Gundogan believes that there should have been more disappointment shown by his teammates.