Xavi laments Barcelona's 'difficult to digest' defeat to Real Madrid

Xavi Hernandez has admitted that Barcelona’s thumping 4-0 defeat to Real Madrid on Wednesday evening is ‘difficult to digest’.

Barcelona had gone into Wednesday’s Clasico with a 1-0 lead, having won the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi final at the Santiago Bernabeu. But they were well beaten at Camp Nou thanks in large part to a hat-trick from Karim Benzema.

Speaking after the game, Xavi admitted that the defeat was hard to take: “It’s difficult to digest.

“We were doing well, but we lost order after the second goal, maybe [it was down to] maturity, we have a lot of very young players. Madrid have these things. Without playing well, they have the lead at the break.

“If we had taken the lead, maybe it would have been different because we competed well in the first half. In the second half, Madrid were better. I said they were the favourites [before the game]. They’re the Champions League holders. They are a great team.

“I told the players that this is Madrid. That you dominate the game, create chances and you’re losing 1-0 at half-time. Football is a game of moments and Madrid take advantage of their moments well. We saw it last season in the Champions League.

“Our moment was the first half. They were better in the second half, physically, pressing and in transitions. If you don’t kill them off, they kill you. There is nothing else for it but to congratulate them for the result.”