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Sam Marsden, Barcelona correspondent
Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez felt frustrated after losing the match on Saturday El Clasico 2-1 against Real Madrid in a match he felt his team deserved to win.
Ilkay Gundogan opened the scoring but Jude Bellingham’s second-half brace, including a 92nd-minute winner, saw Real Madrid take the points at the Olympic Stadium.
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The win puts Madrid back on top La LigaIt is equal in points with Girona and four points ahead of third-placed Barcelona.
“The summary of the match is very simple,” Xavi said in his post-match press conference.
“We had 60 really good minutes and scored one goal. Real Madrid played 20 good minutes and scored two goals.”
Xavi switched to a back three for the match, with Ronald Araujo partnering Andreas Christensen and Iñigo Martinez in defence, and Joao Cancelo and Alejandro Balde as wing-backs.
Barcelona started well, with Gundogan scoring early. Fermin Lopez and Martinez then both hit the woodwork for the home side, while Araujo’s shot was well saved by Kepa Arrizabalaga before Real Madrid turned the game around.
Xavi added: “As I said, from my point of view, we controlled the match for 60 minutes.” “But that’s football, if you don’t score the second goal… we need five or six goals [chances] To score a goal. With three they score two goals.
“Real Madrid has that in their game. We weren’t decisive enough. I think our plan worked well. Maybe I’m exaggerating, they made us suffer late, but I honestly believe that if anyone is going to win the game, they will.” be ours.
“We deserved to win. We controlled Madrid well. They didn’t create much. One shot from outside the box and then… [Luka] “Modric doesn’t control the ball at the end and Bellingham takes advantage of that to score.”
The defeat was Barcelona’s first in all competitions this season and the first at their temporary stadium in Montjuïc, where they are playing during the Camp Nou redevelopment.
“It doesn’t end here,” Xavi said. “The message is that there is still a long way to go. It is only the 11th game of the season and we want to win LaLiga.
“Losing at home to Real Madrid is not satisfactory, of course not. We are disappointed and upset because we deserve more, but we have to continue. We played well, and although the result was bad, the performance was a step forward.” “
