Pellegrini
“Barça are a fantastic team, and it takes a lot to beat them. We made a significant error in the first half, which really tipped the balance of the match. Up until then, both teams had had several shots at goal, and we felt fairly confident on the pitch. When Barça scored the second goal four minutes into the second half, they felt very at ease for the remainder of the game. We all felt that we could have done much better if we hadn’t made such a schoolboy error which led to the first goal.”
“Every match is different. However when you come up against Barcelona it takes a certain degree of concentration and very high level of play that impedes their chance of maintaining possession. I’m disappointed about the first goal, as I think ball possession was fairly balanced between both sides until then. They didn’t create too many goal opportunities early on in the first half, but that goal really did change the dynamic of the match. I hope we perform better in Wednesday’s match in Barcelona, although I don’t think tonight’s performance will have any effect on the Cup match.”
“The end result was justified if you judge our performance during the second half. After Barcelona scored their second goal four minutes into the second half, their style of play was much more relaxed for the remainder of the game. I really feel that if there had been no goals before half-time, the end result would have been different.”
“I’ve not got a ‘bittersweet’ feeling at all. I’m extremely proud of what the team has achieved over the last six months. We qualified for the Champions League for the first time in history, and have performed amazingly well so far in the competition, as well as in the League and Copa del Rey. We’re through to the last 16 in the Champions League and have racked up an impressive 31 points in the League so far, which means our European dreams are very much alive. Despite the last two League defeats, I’m very pleased with our achievements so far this season, and look forward to the second round of the League and performing as well as we can to reach Europe.”