Barcelona’s loss to Real Madrid in the El Clasico has not been looked at favorably. The team was ahead by a goal in halftime thanks to summer arrival Ilkay Gundogan, but still conceded two goals from Jude Bellingham in the second half to lose the game 2-1. It also put a dent in their La Liga title hopes, as they are now behind leaders Madrid by four points.
After such a loss like this, you would think that the Barcelona players would be very disappointed and angry at themselves. But according to Gundogan himself, the case is far from it.
Ilkay Gundogan calls out Barcelona players
After the game was over, Ilkay Gundogan gave a press interview where he was asked about the loss and how much it hurt. The German had an emphatic response, pointing out that there was a lack of emotion in the dressing room.
He said, “I have to be honest, not as much as I wish. I don’t want to say something wrong to be honest. I was just in the dressing room, and of course people are disappointed, but especially after losing such a big game and such a result, I wish there was more frustration and anger, more disappointment.”
It is not surprising to hear these words from Gundogan as he is used to a dressing room like at Manchester City. Last season not only was he captain of a great side under legendary manager Pep Guardiola, but led them to a historic treble season. Obviously, he is used to being disappointed and angry after losing crucial games, which was the DNA behind City’s massive success.
He also pointed out they need to be better from here on and that he felt as an experienced veteran a duty to lead, “I didn’t come here to lose these types of games and let the gap create. There’s also a responsibility from myself, you know an experienced player, to not let these things happen. We need resistance.”
Barcelona has recently seen the departure of many veterans such as Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba. With the squad full of young players, it is clear that the team still needs proper leadership.
Ilkay Gundogan’s performance against Real Madrid
Ilkay Gundogan also has the necessary performance to back up his words. The German produced another great performance against Real Madrid.
He scored the opening goal in just the 6th minute, when he made use of a mistake by Aurélien Tchouaméni to poke in the ball. It was his first goal in the Barcelona outfit, and yet another example of his scoring in big games.
Other than that, Gundo was solid throughout the game, managing to find space and keep possession. He created some chances which were wasted, and helped the team dominate the midfield for a while.
Will Barcelona be able to bounce back after suffering this harsh defeat in the hands of their arch rivals? Make sure to tell us in the comments section.
