Roberto, Raphinha, Christensen speak following Barcelona 1-0 Valencia: “We suffered”

Barcelona momentarily extended their lead to ten points at the top of the league table following a narrow 1-0 victory over Valencia.

It was indeed a hard-fought victory for the home side, who were reduced to ten men around the hour mark and had to rely on Raphinha’s only goal to secure the three points.

Speaking after the game, Raphinha talked about the importance of the three points, stating, “It was a difficult game, but the important thing is that we keep adding the points. It’s very difficult to play with one man less, but we managed to win.”

He stressed the difficulty of playing with ten men but conceded that Ronald Araujo’s red card was a valid one. “It’s complicated to play with 10 men. We had to sit back more, but the most important part is that we won,” he said. “Ronald was the last man. It was a fair red card.”

While Barcelona had to depend on his goal throughout the game, they could have easily extended their lead in the 55th minute, when Ferran Torres shot a penalty wide of the goal.

Talking about the missed opportunity, Raphinha said, “Before the game, it was decided who was going to shoot the penalty. I understand that Ansu (Fati) really wanted to shoot and help, but it was determined before the game.”

Barcelona defender Andreas Christensen, too, stressed the importance of the three points, adding, “It was a tough but important win. We suffered a lot. We always try to play our best football, but it doesn’t always happen. Today’s win is extra motivation.”

Similar words were echoed by Sergi Roberto. “We got a win at the Bernabeu but we suffered. Today, the sending-off made us defend more. It would have been a calmer game if we scored the second goal. You win the league when you win games like these,” he said.

“This is why we’re top of the league. Our backline has improved a lot. It’s not just Marc who is having a great season, it’s the whole team,” said Roberto, who is fresh from a contract extension that will keep him at Camp Nou at least until 2024.

Source: BarçaTV+