Pedri admits Barcelona fell short in defeat to Real Madrid

“We didn’t play a great match, we were slow and lacked rhythm,” Pedri said after Barcelona’s defeat to Real Madrid. Speaking to DAZN at the end of the game, the midfielder also felt his team had not been itself in the first half, although it performed better after the break. He added that the opposition’s second goal came from a transition Barcelona had not defended well.

Pedri also pointed to the lack of speed in possession and the team’s losses of the ball. “We lacked rhythm on the ball. In the first half we were very slow and gave the ball away carelessly a lot; against teams like this, you pay for it,” he said. He called for improvement and noted that his side had wanted to win the Clásico in front of its supporters. Despite the disappointment, he stressed that the season was long and a league title was not decided in one match.

Pau Cubarsí also voiced his disappointment after the defeat, saying the team had not met the level the game demanded. The defender called for the result to become “a turning point” and urged the side to keep pushing, noting that the season had only just begun.

Frenkie de Jong acknowledged that losing at home, especially in a Clásico, hurt. He also said Barcelona were leaders and needed to recover after a difficult week. In his view, the team had been less fluid and had lost the ball more often; he also highlighted the opponent’s ability to punish those turnovers with quick, decisive players.

On a personal level, Pedri spoke about competition in midfield, which he considered natural at a club like Barcelona. He said he wanted to contribute and return to the starting eleven as soon as possible.

Joao Cancelo, for his part, felt his team had been superior and had created more chances than Madrid. He acknowledged, however, that they should have controlled the game better with the ball, keeping possession and moving it around more effectively. The players’ reactions point to a shared assessment: after the defeat, Barcelona want to cut down on turnovers and rediscover their rhythm.