Real Madrid left back Marcelo has hailed his team mates for their ability to dig deep and grind out a result after they beat fierce rivals Barcelona 2-1.
Goals from Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo saw the 10-time Champions League winners see off Luis Enrique’s side after the hosts had taken the lead through Gerard Pique. Real also had to play the final seven minutes without Sergio Ramos who was sent off for two yellow cards.
Speaking to journalists, Marcelo admitted it was a tough game but that he was proud the players hung on for the three points.
“Every single team has to learn to dig in against Barcelona. We did just that, we hung on and showed some patience. The players that we’ve got up top it make it easier for us to break on the counter, but the whole team worked hard, from Keylor right through to Cristiano, and we did a really great job. These three points give us a boost to keep on fighting,” he said.
He continued: “Facing Barcelona, one of the best teams in the world is tough, and to play against them here is even more difficult. When you’ve not got the ball you need to run lots and dig in and try and catch them on the counter, but there were spells during which we managed to keep the ball. We owed our supporters one and we’ve shown that we can go all the way against anyone, but the most important thing is that we all worked hard and that we picked up the three points.”
