Barcelona's 1-0 victory against Real Madrid leaves the League practically sentenced, with the Blaugrana team 13 points ahead of second place, the white team. Jonatan Giráldez does not hide the fact that the difference is practically insurmountable, but warns of the importance of the team not giving up in the most decisive stretch of the season: "13 points behind the second is a very good advantage, but the reality is that mathematically there is a lot left. Not because there is a risk that they could overtake us, but because of the feelings we have to have in this important part of the season. We have to maintain the competitive demand”.
Like all classics, it has not been without controversy and Alberto Toril, the Real Madrid coach, has decided not to appear before the press and has left the pitch very upset with the refereeing. For his Blaugrana counterpart, on the other hand, the performance of the referee "has been correct".
On a purely sporting level, Giráldez highlighted the "defensive reliability" of the team: "They have only kicked twice in the entire game and that speaks highly of our work", he pointed out. On the offensive side, the team has not been at its usual level: “Normally we create an average of 30 chances, today there were 17, but it is still a very good number. We may not have had as many chances as before, but today I think the defensive aspect was important. They thought that we would arrive with some wear and tear from the game in Rome and that is why they squeezed us when the ball came out, but I think we have resolved it well ”, he stated.
Giráldez has recognized that the team has improved its version with the entry into the second part of the most common players such as Graham Hansen or Walsh, but he has also confessed his surprise before Alberto Toril's eleven: "The lineup surprised me because they did not play footballers like Athenea or Feller, who are dangerous behind our defense. I have understood that they have prioritized having something more quality and associating from within. On a personal level, this gave me peace of mind because I knew they would have less depth to attack us, which is why I think so little has reached us. Our defensive line has not been as demanding as in other games ”, he explained.
Lastly, the Barça coach thanked the fans for their support on a day of record attendance at the Johan Cruyff and asked the fans to also wrap them up this Wednesday (6:45 p.m.) at the Camp Nou in the second leg of the quarterfinals of the Champions League: "On Wednesday we have another transcendental game at the Camp Nou and we need the warmth of the fans to cover the team."
