26th March, 2012
After taking the three points from the complicated match against Mallorca (0-2), the Barça players are keen on making a comeback in La Liga. The Barça players said it’s essential to keep on winning points to put pressure on the League leaders, Real Madrid.
The match winner was scored by Gerard Piqué, who recognised the difficulty of winning the match especially after Thiago was sent off. “It was very hard to win, especially with 10 men,” said the defender.
Piqué, however, said that his team deserved the win: “the three points are very important and we deserved them.”
The defender said that the pitch made “the ball unpredictable,” but that the team perfectly overcame the problem and put in a good performance. “We tried to control the match; they wanted to equalise, but we played well with 10 players,” said Piqué.
The footballer also said that his team needs to keep on winning to cut into Real Madrid’s lead at the top of the table: “we’re three points behind momentarily, but the most important thing is that our title hopes are still alive. What really matters is winning and we’ve managed to earn a great victory.”
Finally, he said that Barça needs to focus on one match at a time to keep the team’s winning streak alive. “Winning matches in La Liga and Champions League reinforces out morale,” he said.
Javier Mascherano said after the match: “We have to do our work in the best way possible; always looking to see how the leaders are doing.
“Against Mallorca, we kept our composure. We withstood the pressure after losing a player and with the 0-2 the game got a bit easier because there wasn’t much time left.
“I feel great playing in the back line in a position that’s a bit weird for me on the right. But we did a good job and our defence was great.
“It was a difficult match; we have to start thinking about AC Milan. The away leg will be important in the tie.”
Pedro Rodríguez said: “It was a complicated match, the pitch wasn’t in the best condition, but we’re pleased with this victory.
“The team reacted well after the red card, it’s difficult to beat Mallorca because they pressure you a lot and they have players that take advantage space.”
On Thiago’s double booking: “it looked as though it wasn’t a handball, but it’s a difficult call to make for a referee. We have to accept it.
“We have to keep on doing our job like we have been, playing our games and winning them. We feel great, with a lot of confidence, and we’ll keep fighting until the end.”