Rather poor in intensity but rich in suspense, the Clasico of Spanish football turned to the advantage of FC Barcelona winner on his lawn of Real Madrid (2-1) thanks to goals from Roberto (45th) and Kessié (90th + 2) against an own goal from Araujo (9th). With this victory against the backdrop of the Negreira affair, the Catalan club is heading towards a new title of Spanish champion. Barca after 26 rounds are 12 points clear of their Madrid rivals.
“Twelve points with twelve days left, it’s not final, recognizes Xavi, the Catalan coach. But I think we can start to appreciate what this band is doing. We have an extraordinary championship, we don’t talk about it much. I am proud of these players, who have been criticized a lot. It is high time to value them. It is a victory to be savored. There was a lot of joy in the locker room. We must not forget where we come from. »
Opposite, of course, it’s more grimace soup. The European champion club is already drawing a line under the domestic coronation and once again puts its hopes on the Champions League: “We are sad, touched … But proud of the match we made, promises Carlo Ancelotti Real Madrid coach. We will win something by the end of the season, be sure. The game was complete. We did not win it because of an offside on which we still have a doubt. But the match is lost. Do I consider La Liga lost? No. There are still matches. »
An opinion that his goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois does not share: “Yes, we have to be honest, the championship is lost. We will continue to fight until the end, but there are four games difference between us. We still have the goal average in our favour. But hey, they would have to lose four matches and we would have to win them all… Nothing is impossible, but it will be very difficult. We will have to come here to snatch a qualification for the King’s Cup final. Only victory counted, and we don’t have it. »
Sergi Roberto the FC Barcelona midfielder enjoys his side but remains cautious. Thinking that Real is lost others have thought about it. But the “White House” is never down. “There are a lot of matches left, and you can never leave Real Madrid for dead, thinks the Barca player. Twelve points is a complicated distance to catch up, but it will depend on us. This is what satisfies us. It was a nice party. A victory at the last minute, like that, it has more flavor. »