Barca Lose In El Clasico, Ronald Koeman: Have No Choice But To Rise
JAKARTA - Real Madrid came out victorious in the first El Clasico match of the season after beating Barcelona 2-1 in the tenth match of the Spanish League at the Camp Nou Stadium on Sunday.
David Alba and Lucas Vazquez scored two Real Madrid goals each. Meanwhile, Barcelona reduced the gap thanks to Sergio Aguero's first goal at the club.
With this victory, Real Madrid had climbed to the top of the La Liga standings with 20 points before being evicted by Real Sociedad (21) who drew with Atletico Madrid in the following match. While Barcelona, stuck in eighth place, then dropped to ninth position.
"It's true that we were good in the first half, we controlled the game well," said Ronald Koeman after the match, reported MARCA.
“We have a good chance to get ahead on the scoreboard. But in the second half, they (Madrid) played well. We cannot make threat."
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"With their counter-attack, we have to be vigilant. The team did their best to equalize, even at 2-1. I am disappointed with the result but not with what we have played as a team."
“In the Clasico, losing means more than dropping three points. But there is no time to give up. Wednesday we play another game. We have no choice but to rise. Today we can be sad, but from tomorrow we have to prepare for Wednesday.
"The players, like everyone connected with Barcelona, are disappointed with the final result. It must be like this. But we also have to analyze what we've done well, and we've got help from the public. But there is no time to give up.
“(Improvements) have to be demanded, of course. I understand people's disappointment. But today we showed that we are not inferior to Real Madrid. If we had gone 1-0 up instead of going down 1-0, everything would have changed."