Madrid: FC Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola Monday praised both sides after watching Barcelona scrape a 2-2 draw in an epic game of football away to Athletic Club Bilbao.
“I want to congratulate everyone. I want to congratulate Athletic and their coach for this marvellous match,” Guardiola was quoted as saying by Xinhua.
“It was an incredible game between us both and I have rarely been as proud of my players as I have been today. It was an extremely demanding game and my players knew how to read it. It was a hymn to football,” continued the Barca coach, who had more praise for his side’s rivals.
“I have never had to play against a side that was so intense and so aggressive. (Marcelo Bielsa) is a great coach and he has made Athletic into a club that bears his image,” he continued.
The draw sees Barcelona drop two points in relation to Real Madrid, who beat Osasuna 7-1 earlier in the day, but despite Barcelona falling three points off the top of the table, Guardiola refused to be disappointed at the result.
“How can we not feel satisfied with the spectacle that we have seen from these 22 players? There is little more to say. We did make a few errors, but you have to value the rival that you are up against,” he concluded.
Marcelo Bielsa, however, refused to be disheartened after seeing his side conceded the equalising goal in the last minute. (IANS)
