On Thursday night, Barcelona delivered a determined and resilient defensive performance, securing a crucial 1-0 victory over Real Madrid in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final.
Barcelona emerged victorious in the highly-anticipated Copa del Rey semi-final clash against arch-rivals Real Madrid on Thursday night.
The Blaugrana showcased a resilient and dominant defensive display to secure a crucial 1-0 win at the Santiago Bernabeu, with Eder Militao scoring an own goal in the first half to put the visitors in the lead.
Ronald Araujo, who started at right-back, was a standout performer for Barcelona, completely neutralizing the impact of Real Madrid’s Brazilian winger Vinicius Jr. Speaking to the media after the game, the Uruguayan defender hailed Barcelona’s defensive efforts and called it their best performance of the season. Araujo also had words of praise for Vinicius, stating that he is a “spectacular player” who he will face many times in his career.
Speaking about the Brazilian Winger he said “I will face Vinicius many more times in my career. He is a spectacular player.”
“We all know that Vinicius has spectacular quality, but I worked hard to play this match and things went my way.”
The Uruguayan defender also went further to praise his team’s performance for the night “I think that this is our best defensive match of the season.”
He further added “Normally we have more of the ball, but today we showed that we also know how to defend in our box,” Araujo said on the display.
“We played well, with a very good defensive performance and we competed well. We needed a reaction because we came from two losses,” he added.
Barcelona’s victory was much-needed as they were coming off two consecutive losses. The win gives them a psychological advantage going into the second leg of the semi-final, which is set to take place on March 3 at the Camp Nou.
Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman was pleased with the team’s performance, especially their ability to defend with discipline and composure. He emphasized the importance of the result and praised his players for their effort and commitment on the pitch.
The Catalan giants will now turn their attention to their upcoming La Liga clash against Valencia on Sunday, as they look to continue their pursuit of the league title. The win over Real Madrid will surely give them a boost of confidence as they enter the crucial stage of the season.