“Xavi on the Controversial Penalty Incident and Barcelona’s Missed Opportunities”

When questioned about whether Barcelona should have been awarded a penalty in the first half when Ronald Araujo was seemingly fouled by Aurelien Tchouameni, Xavi responded, “The players in the dressing room are discussing the possibility of a penalty. I didn’t witness it personally. It’s not a crucial issue. Our defeat wasn’t due to that. We lost because we lacked efficiency.”

Xavi went on to suggest that fatigue might have affected the team in the second half, despite an initial strong performance with high pressure, game control, and scoring opportunities. He remarked, “Perhaps fatigue affected us in the second half. We started playing well, applying high pressure, controlling the game, getting chances. It’s unfortunate.”

Araujo expressed his frustration after the game, believing that Barcelona deserved a penalty that could have potentially doubled their lead. However, the team must shoulder the blame for allowing Real Madrid to come back into the game and secure a late victory.