Pedri, Cubarsi react after Barcelona 1-2 Real Madrid: ‘We didn’t play a great game’

Pedri, Cubarsi react after Barcelona 1-2 Real Madrid: ‘We didn’t play a great game’Pedri has admitted Barcelona failed to reach their usual level during their 2-1 defeat to Real Madrid in the first El Clasico of the 2026/27 season, pointing to slow possession and costly mistakes as key reasons behind the result. The midfielder spoke immediately after the match, while defender Pau Cubarsi urged his teammates to use the disappointment as a turning point in their campaign.Barcelona recovered from a difficult first half to equalise after the break, but Real Madrid struck again on the counter-attack to secure victory. Despite the setback, both players stressed that the La Liga season remains long and that Barcelona must respond rather than allow the defeat to derail their ambitions.Pedri admits Barcelona were below their bestPedri offered a frank assessment of Barcelona’s performance, acknowledging that the team struggled to impose itself during the opening period before improving after half-time.“Overall, we didn’t play a great game. In the first half, we weren’t ourselves; there were things we could have done better. “In the second half, we equalised and played better, but their second goal came from a counter-attack that we didn’t defend well.”Pedri admits Barcelona lacked rhythm against Real Madrid. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)The midfielder identified Barcelona’s lack of rhythm and unnecessary errors as major problems against an opponent capable of punishing even small lapses in concentration.“We lacked rhythm on the ball. In the first half we were very slow and made a lot of silly mistakes, and against teams like this, you pay the price.“We need to improve to keep going. It’s three points; we wanted to win El Clásico in front of our fans, but it’s a long season.”Pedri also called for perspective after the defeat, emphasising that Barcelona still have plenty of football to play.“The league is a long one. It’s a match we all want to win to dedicate it to the fans; it wasn’t to be, and we’re leaving here sad, but we have to focus on the next one. “This is a long season, and you don’t win the league here.”Cubarsi calls for Barcelona to make defeat a turning pointCubarsi shared Pedri’s disappointment but challenged Barcelona to learn from the defeat and improve before the decisive stages of the campaign.Cubarsi has refrained from giving any excuses. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)The centre-back acknowledged that the team had not delivered the performance the occasion demanded, while insisting that there was still time to put things right.“We were a bit disappointed with how the match went. We didn’t rise to the standard the match deserved either.“We could have reacted better, and it’s only October – this has only just begun. We need to make this a turning point and go for more”.The defender also pointed to the demands of the fixture schedule, although he refused to use fatigue as an excuse for Barcelona’s shortcomings.“It’s no excuse, but the fixture list: we’ve played a lot of matches, clocked up a lot of minutes and were tired, but we can’t use that as an excuse. “We have to win as many matches as possible, and this is a turning point that must help us be ready when the crucial moments arrive,” he concluded.Source: Mundo Deportivo