PIQUE KNEW BARCA COULD WIN
Barcelona defender Gerard Pique has said that he knew in hindsight that Barcelona were capable of beating Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Barcelona have an excellent record against their arch rivals in recent seasons and they only extended this record in the recent 3-1 victory over José Mourinho’s side. Even though Real Madrid managed to score after only 23 seconds – the fastest goal in this fixture – Barcelona regained their composure to come back into the match through Lionel Messi. They also took the lead and extended it even more through the excellent play by Cesc Fabregas and Xavi.
Even though it is quite easy for any player to say that they were confident of beating the opponents, Gerard Pique has said that Barcelona’s recent record against Real Madrid was one of the reasons for him to believe that they are capable of beating Real Madrid.
The 3-1 victory brought an end to Real Madrid’s 15 match winning run in the La Liga, which had given them a three-point advantage over Barcelona going into this match. However, following the defeat, Barcelona have not only caught up with Real Madrid, but have also went to the top of the table due to the better head-to-head record between the two clubs.
Now, Barcelona will be going to the Club World Cup in Japan where they’ll be facing the likes of Santos in the final. “We knew we could win at the Bernabeu. That feeling was seen on the field. Now we have to continue along this path. We knew the importance of winning there and that is why we managed this result,” Gerard Pique said after the impressive victory over Real Madrid. He also dismissed suggestions that there was a rift between him and Real Madrid defender Marcelo.