A complete display in the second half saw FC Barcelona secure a thumping 4-0 victory over eternal rivals Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday night.
A Robert Lewandowski brace, coupled with goals from Lamine Yamal and Raphinha, helped the Blaugrana stretch their lead at the top of the table to six points.
While the attackers shone brightly, the defensive unit also was top-notch for Barça. Marshalled by veteran star Inigo Martinez, Barcelona executed the offside trap with great expertise, stumping Kylian Mbappe & co. time and again on the night.
Martinez delighted
Speaking after the game, Martinez, who earned a lot of praise from manager Hansi Flick for his performance, expressed his delight at the win, saying:
“After enduring a difficult first fifteen minutes, we recovered well in the first half, and in the second half, the goals came as we proved superior. We could have scored even more.”
Addressing Real Madrid’s 12 offside calls, the Barcelona centre-half highlighted their defensive cohesion as he said:
“We coordinate very well at the back, knowing exactly when to hold the line. Yes, there are risks involved, but sitting back against Madrid would be worse.”
Martinez was brilliant vs Real Madrid. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
Martinez gave the fans permission to celebrate the win whilst maintaining perspective, saying:
“This is another statement victory, and it’s natural for supporters to get excited, but there’s still a long way to go despite our six-point lead, and Madrid will keep pushing.”
Reflecting on Barcelona’s transformation under Hansi FLick, the defender acknowledged last season’s struggles: “Last year was tough for everyone, and we wanted to turn things around.”
Martinez also observed that Barcelona had allowed themselves to be “carried away by refereeing decisions” in the first half, whilst their improved focus on their own game after the break…
Source link : https://barcauniversal.com/barcelona-veteran-ecstatic-with-resounding-win-vs-real-madrid-could-have-scored-even-more/
Author : Michel Durant
Publish date : 2024-10-27 08:55:00
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