Madrid Football Star Lampoons Barca Following Loss to Leganes (VIDEO)
Madrid Football Star Lampoons Barca Following Loss to Leganes (VIDEO)
Real Madrid's Antonio Rudiger gleefully mocked crosstown rivals FC Barcelona after their 1-0 loss to Leganes on Sunday, as captured in a clip shared on X by sports talk show El Chiringuito on social media.
Barca's title chase was given a boost by Rayo Vallecano just the day prior, as they held Madrid to a 3-3 draw in the Vallecas on Saturday evening. This gave Carlo Ancelotti's team an opportunity to gain a point's lead at the summit, but instead, they squandered it. Barcelona, meanwhile, could've increased their advantage over Defending Champions Madrid to 4 points and that over Atletico Madrid to 3 points, had they managed to win against the relegation-threatened opposition in Montjuic.
Unfortunately for Barcelona, they failed to respond to an early goal from Sergio Poirrier and suffered their second consecutive home defeat, following a 2-1 setback against Las Palmas a fortnight ago.
Barca's midfielder, Pedri, expressed his disappointment with the subpar performance, labeling the match as "f*cked up" in a post-match interview with TV3.
"It's hard to be satisfied today. We started a bit lazily, they scored against us. Then we woke up, we created chances but we lacked energy, we lacked urgency," Pedri said.
"We have to start better in the games. When a team scores quickly, they put a lot of people behind the ball. And we lacked energy, and clarity in front of goal. We're on a losing streak and we need to improve."
Rudiger seemed to be in high spirits, despite an influencer recording him checking his phone during a Red Bull event.
"He's laughing at me," a man with Rudiger stated, as the German showed the Leganes vs. Barca scoreline on his phone.
Rudiger burst into laughter, a regular occurrence for the center back who often jokes and plays around during even the most critical of matches.
For now, Rudiger's attention will be on the Intercontinental Cup final on Wednesday, but Madrid has the chance to assume top spot on January 3, if they manage to win their postponed game against Valencia, which was postponed due to tragic flooding.
Pedri's disappointment was evident after Barcelona's 1-0 loss to Leganes, considering they could have increased their lead over Real Madrid to 4 points. Rudiger, on the other hand, found joy in Leganes' victory over Barca, being a Valencia player during his earlier career in La Liga. Despite his moment of celebration during a Red Bull event, Rudiger will focus on the Intercontinental Cup final, while Real Madrid has the chance to take the lead in La Liga by defeating Valencia on January 3.