El Clasico comeback sparks powerful reactions from Balde, Gavi and Fermin – ‘Don’t feel like champions yet’ | OneFootball

Barcelona’s dramatic 4-3 win over Real Madrid not only put them on the brink of the La Liga title but also marked the return of left-back Alejandro Balde after a month-long injury layoff.

The 21-year-old came off the bench to replace Gerard Martin and played a crucial role in Barça’s thrilling victory.

“Yes, I’m very happy about the win. Especially for my team; it was a tough game,” said Balde. “These have been tough weeks in which I missed some very important games. Now I’m happy to be back.”

Despite falling two goals behind in the early stages of the match, Balde confessed that he never lost belief in the team. “I was calm at 2-0, I don’t know why. I knew we could come back, and today we did it again.”

Balde also took a moment to praise Raphinha, who bagged a brace and claimed the MVP award. “Raphinha is having an incredible season, not just because of the numbers, but because he’s giving a lot to the team,” he said.

Gavi and Fermin comment on refereeing

Gavi was not happy with the referee’s performance. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Midfielder Gavi echoed Balde’s thoughts about the shaky start. “It is clear we didn’t start the game very well. It’s happened to us before, and it’s something we have to improve on. The important thing is our mentality and being able to turn the score around.”

On the refereeing decisions, Gavi stayed diplomatic: “Everyone has seen the game and there is not much to say.”

Fermin Lopez, however, did not hold back. “You say it, we’re used to it, it’s almost always the same,” he admitted. “As Ronald said the other day, this refereeing was complicated. There were decisions that deserve to be reviewed.”

He also addressed his disallowed goal, saying, “I hadn’t realised the handball. It was a nice goal, but the important thing is that we won.”

The midfielder closed with a clear message: “We don’t feel like champions until the very end.”

Source: Mundo Deportivo