Valverde praises Real Madrid’s unity after battling through injury in Barcelona win

Federico Valverde said Real Madrid’s togetherness was the key to their 2-1 victory over Barcelona in the La Liga Clasico, after he played for more than 40 minutes despite suffering an injury.

Kylian Mbappe scored twice for Real Madrid at Camp Nou, while Raphinha replied for Barcelona. The result reduced the gap between the two sides to three points in the La Liga title race.

Valverde continued to impress at right-back before being forced off late in the match. Speaking after the game in comments reported by Marca, he said: “I am proud of the team. We worked well and every player knew what they had to do.”

He added: “That is what makes a team – all of us being united. The keys to the victory were playing as one team, knowing how to suffer, keeping the ball and moving it from one side to the other, and attacking the spaces.”

Real Madrid produced an excellent first half, although Valverde acknowledged that Barcelona improved after the interval.

“We played a great first half, but they got better in the second half,” he said.

Valverde explained that he had considered continuing after the break despite the pain in his leg.

“We spoke at half-time, and Mourinho asked me if I was able to continue,” he said. “I tried to play for longer, but I felt a lot of pain in my leg, so the substitution was a precaution.”

The Uruguay international said the determination of his team-mates had encouraged him to remain on the pitch.

“It is easy for me to say I will continue playing when I have team-mates like these,” he added. “They always push you to give your best for the team.”

He concluded: “I am happy with the effort everyone made. It was a source of pride to see them running and giving everything they had.”

The defeat was Barcelona’s first in La Liga after nine consecutive victories. It was also their second loss of the season and came in successive matches, following a 4-2 defeat by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League several days earlier.

The victory was Real Madrid’s first over Barcelona at Camp Nou since the 2023/2024 season. That previous success came in October 2023 and also ended 2-1 in favour of Real Madrid.

Real Madrid moved on to 24 points in third place, one point behind second-placed Atletico Madrid. Barcelona remain top of La Liga on 27 points.

The match was played in the 10th round of the Spanish league, with Real Madrid securing the win in the latest meeting between the two clubs.