"Barcelona didn’t feel comfortable in the first half" - Luis Figo explains why Real Madrid deserved to win El Clasico
Real Madrid earned an emphatic 3-1 victory over Barcelona when the two sides clashed in El Clasico in La Liga over the weekend. Portuguese legend Luis Figo, who represented both sides during his playing days, has explained why Los Blancos deservedly beat their Catalan counterparts.
With the two sides tied at 22 points heading into the fixture, all eyes were on them to see who would come out on top and earn a seat at the top of the Liga table. Real Madrid managed to prove to the world why they're the reigning Spanish champions by subjecting their arch-rivals to a 3-1 loss at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Real Madrid 3-1 Barcelona: El Clasico Review - barcauniversal.com/real-madrid-3-…
Carlo Ancelotti's men wasted no time in making their impact felt as they drew first blood via a Karim Benzema strike in the 12th minute. Federico Valverde doubled Los Blancos' lead 23 minutes later with a thunderous effort from outside the box.
Although Ferran Torres pulled one back for Barcelona after the restart, it only served as consolation as Rodrygo scored from the spot in injury time to seal all three points for the defending champions.
Analyzing the match after full-time, Luis Figo explained that Los Blancos were the better side and that's why they came out on top in the clash on Sunday.
“Real Madrid were better and deserved to win the Clásico,” the Portuguese said in quotes conveyed by Managing Madrid. “I think Barcelona didn’t feel comfortable in the first half, that’s why they were lower on the scoreboard.
“In general, I think Madrid was better and that’s why they won the game. They were more effective in terms of the chances they had to score goals. Barcelona were able to equalize and score 1-1 in the first half, but they weren’t effective.
Away Clasico wins with a clean sheet in the last 15 years:
- Barcelona: 7
- Real Madrid: 0
— @Barca19stats https://t.co/6yFWWMCDKd
"That could have helped them get into the game, because then they suffered the second goal. Benzema, Modric, and Vinicius played well. In general, Real Madrid were better in the Clasico.”
Barcelona and Real Madrid in La Liga table after El Clasico
Thanks to the outcome of the Clasico, Real Madrid have returned to the top of the league table and now have 25 points from nine games. Barcelona, on the other hand, occupy second position with 22 points from the same number of matches.
Up next, the Catalan giants will take on Villareal in the Spanish top flight at Camp Nou on Thursday. Los Blancos, meanwhile, will travel to Elche to continue their title defense mission. It remains to be seen how the two sides will fare in the encounters.