19.09.2010 22:35

Iniesta: “The team gave a sensational show”

Aida Soriano

Barca’s midfielder, who was given a standing ovation by the Vicente Calderon crowd, expressed his pride at the team’s performance in Madrid tonight.

The win was bitter sweet for the players who saw their Argentinean team mate carried off with a worryingly serious looking ankle injury and Iniesta commented: “we are a bit down about Leo’s injury, but let’s hope it’s not too serious. We are also happy about the great game the team put in at a very difficult ground”.

“We controlled the little details”

Iniesta continued: “we controlled the little details during the game and they hardly had a shot on goal. We maybe should have buried the game, but the impression the team gave at a ground where we have had a rough time recently was sensational”.

Messi

Iniesta insisted on looking on the positive side about Messi’s injury: “we are all worried because it was a nasty tackle, but let’s hope the first indications are true. I don’t know whose fault it was, that’s the referee’s job and that’s their job – it’s not easy”.


Below are the post match comments from the rest of the players:

Carles Puyol

“We’re really messed up by Leo’s injury. It was a very ugly tackle and could have put him out of the game for a long time – we have to cut these things out, the ref did his thing by showing a red. People talk about the need to protect this player or that one, but we have to protect everybody”.

Sergio Busquets

“We are happy with the win at a tough ground, but down about Leo’s injury”.

“The squad were clear that we had to win this one”

Gerard Piqué

“The fans enjoyed it and we come away with three points – that’s what matters”.

“I think the first half was one of the best 45 minutes we’ve played and after the break we tried to hit them on the break – the most important though is that we have taken the three points”.

“It was my first goal of the season, but I hope it won’t be the last. I controlled it with my chest because I couldn’t see too well with the sun in my eyes”.

“Messi will recover. The team is a bit down, but I’m sure he will be back”.

Víctor Valdés

“We knew what we had to do - the boss had given us the key to how we should go into the game”.

“Leo is feeling bad. Let’s hope it’s not serious. He’s a player who gets a lot of rough treatment and we really have to protect players like this a lot”.

Pedro Rodríguez

“We hope that Leo recovers as soon as possible. He is a really important player for us and to get injured in the final minutes when things were already decided is really bad”.

“We played well against a tough opponent and we had chances to score more goals”.

“This was an important win and now we have to keep on playing well and winning”.

Dani Alves

“It’s an important win at a tough ground and we take the three points. We are all worried about Leo’s injury, but we hope it’s not too bad and he’ll be back with us soon”.

“We have to be a bit more careful with each other – this is a contact sport, but we have to know how to control ourselves”.

Maxwell

“Leo is very down, it was a nasty tackle and he is in pain, but we all hope that he’ll be back with us soon”.