• La Liga

Barcelona dismiss Madrid's 'easy excuses'

ESPN staff
October 27, 2013
Gareth Bale started for Real Madrid but made little impact before being subbed off © Getty Images
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Barcelona have dismissed Real Madrid's "easy excuses" after Carlo Ancelotti and Sergio Ramos blamed referee Alberto Undiano for their Clasico defeat.

Madrid were beaten 2-1 at Camp Nou on Saturday as La Liga leaders Barca moved six points clear of their arch-rivals, but the visitors felt they should have had penalties for an Adriano handball and a Javier Mascherano push on Cristiano Ronaldo.

After the match, Ancelotti said: "There were two clear penalties and although I don't like to try and justify defeats by talking about referees, there are some things you cannot fight against."

Ramos also believed the visitors should have had two "blatant" penalties, and added: "There are things you can't do anything about. I've said it before. The ref decided the result."

The Barcelona camp had little sympathy, though, with Cesc Fabregas saying he himself was the victim of a "crystal clear" penalty when fouled by Pepe, and Dani Alves argued that Ramos should have been given "the red card he deserved" in the game.

Sergio Busquets was particularly forthright when asked about Madrid's "crying" over the officials.

"Every time they lose they resort to the easy excuse of blaming the referee, but they can't complain and much less so this season," he said.

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