Pedri, De Jong and Cancelo Speak Candidly After Barcelona’s Defeat to Real Madrid
Barcelona’s defeat in El Clásico was more than a painful result for the club’s supporters. It exposed problems in the team’s performance and prompted several players to speak candidly after the final whistle. Their comments offered an insight into what went wrong and why the team was dissatisfied with its display in one of the season’s biggest matches.
The reactions, however, were not limited to admitting shortcomings. They also carried messages about the La Liga title race and the need to correct mistakes quickly. From criticism of the team’s slow passing and frequent turnovers to concerns about fatigue and confidence in a comeback, Barcelona’s players stressed that the defeat should be a lesson rather than the end of their ambitions.
Pedri was the first Barcelona player to react after the 2-1 defeat to Real Madrid. He admitted that his team had not produced a good performance, particularly in the first half, when it failed to play at its usual level and left too much room for improvement. The Spanish midfielder explained that Barcelona performed better after the break and managed to equalise, but then conceded the decisive goal from a counterattack that the team failed to defend properly.
Pedri identified the lack of speed in Barcelona’s passing as one of the main problems, alongside repeated mistakes and unnecessary losses of possession. He said the team had been far too slow in the first half, warning that such errors are punished when facing strong opponents capable of exploiting space and opportunities.
The midfielder stressed the need to improve in upcoming matches, despite the disappointment of failing to win in front of the home supporters. Barcelona had wanted to take all three points in El Clásico and dedicate the victory to its fans, but Pedri urged calm and warned against treating the defeat as the end of the title race. He insisted that La Liga is not decided in a single match and that the season is still long.
Defender Pau Cubarsí, meanwhile, called for the defeat to become a turning point that would help Barcelona correct its course. He admitted to feeling disappointed with the team’s performance, saying it had not met the level the match demanded and that some of its reactions on the pitch could have been better.
Cubarsí noted that the season was still in its early stages, even though the team had already played many matches and accumulated a heavy workload. He acknowledged that the players were tired but refused to use the fixture schedule as an excuse for the defeat. Instead, he stressed the need to win as many matches as possible and learn from the experience so the team would be ready when the decisive games arrived.
Regarding a refereeing incident, Cubarsí explained that he had not seen it live or watched a replay, so he preferred not to judge it before viewing it. He added that if the video assistant referee had not intervened, there was a reason for that, without offering a definitive verdict on the incident.
Frenkie de Jong also admitted that the defeat hurt, particularly because it came at home in a match as important as El Clásico. He said the result was not what Barcelona had expected, but insisted that the team needed to recover quickly after a difficult week. He also pointed out that Barcelona remained top of the standings, according to his post-match comments.
The Dutch midfielder acknowledged that Barcelona had lacked its usual fluidity and lost possession more often than normal. He explained that such mistakes play into Real Madrid’s hands because the Spanish giants have fast, decisive players who can make the difference, particularly when opponents lose the ball during the first or second phase of their build-up play.
De Jong also addressed competition in Barcelona’s midfield. He said the squad contained many high-quality players and that competition was natural at a club of Barcelona’s stature. He added that he wanted to contribute to the team and return to the starting line-up as quickly as possible.
João Cancelo offered a different assessment of the match, saying that, in his view, Barcelona had been the better side despite losing. He argued that Real Madrid did not need many chances to score, and that the visitors’ ability to take advantage of their opportunities ultimately made the difference.
Cancelo also felt Barcelona needed to keep possession for longer and move the ball more effectively instead of relying on a high press at all times. He explained that the team knew how to use possession and passing to its advantage but had not done so consistently enough during El Clásico, despite his belief that Barcelona had created more chances than its opponents.
The comments from Pedri, Cubarsí, De Jong and Cancelo highlight several aspects of Barcelona’s defeat: a slow tempo, losses of possession, difficulties defending Real Madrid’s attacking transitions and the need to cope better with a demanding schedule. Although the players offered different assessments of the performance, their central message was the same: Barcelona must learn from the defeat, correct its mistakes and prepare for the next matches while remembering that the title race remains far from over.
