SAUDI ARABIA - midfielder Gerard Pique is proud of Barca's performance and insists the club is on the right track, despite losing to Real in the semi-finals of the Spanish Super Cup.
"This match was very interesting, pleasing to the eyes of the audience. I thought Barca played well, but unfortunately could not win and reach the final. This is not the result we expected. Losing to Real made me painful," Pique said after the game. "But Barca is on the right track. The team can compete fairly with strong clubs, and needs to complete the last step to turn the situation around and win. I am proud of the performance of the whole team. If continuing. Continuing to play like this, Barca will soon return to a winning trajectory and compete for titles."
At King Fahd Stadium, Riyadh on January 12, Barca outperformed Real in almost every parameter, when controlling the ball 54%, launching 20 shots, having 704 passes with an accuracy rate of 88%, and nine penalties. corner. Real 's statistics are 46%, 14 shots, 640 passes with 85% accuracy, and only one corner.
But Real is sharper, especially in counter-attacks. Vinicius Junior and Karim Benzema twice put Real ahead, and Luuk de Jong and Ansu Fati respectively scored for Barca at the end of each half, bringing the game into extra time. The turning point was created in the 98th minute, when Federico Valverde opened fire to help Real win the 100th El Clasico match in history and win tickets to the final of the Spanish Super Cup.
Pique emphasized: "We take risks, push the squad high to find the victory, and let Real score from counter-attacks, with more numbers. Barca can hold their heads high when they are on par with Real. - the team is having a good season. We play well, but we still need to win."
According to the Spain defender, the return of Pedri and Ansu Fati, as well as the debut of Ferran Torres, will greatly help Barca in the second half of the season. "Barca welcomes many players after recovering from Covid-19 and long-term injuries. All the players returning after months of not playing are in high form. That is very good news for Barca. The only minus point is Barca We couldn't win and we had to go home. We are very hungry to win this title."
In the final, Real will meet the winner of the match between the champion Atletico Madrid and the runner-up of the King's Cup Athletic Bilbao, at 2 a.m. Friday, January 14, Hanoi time. The final match will take place on the evening of January 16, also at King Fahd Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, Barca will play the next match against Bilbao in the round of 16 of the King's Cup of Spain on January 19.
