El Clasico coaches both claim to be deserving of victory

Sergio Ramos scored a late equaliser to preserve Real Madrid’s six-point lead atop La Liga with a 1-1 draw at Barcelona in the season’s first El Clasico on Saturday.

“We did important collective work, along with Karim and Cristiano”. Scoring chances were had by both sides, but neither team was able to jump ahead in the first half.

“It shows that we have done things well since the start of the season, but we can’t go insane”, added Ramos. That is the good thing we have in this team. That said, we deserved to win.

“We suffered against a great team, it wasn’t easy to pick up points here but we did so with character”.

His sentiments were shared by goalscorer Suarez, who told beIN Sports: “We worked hard, had chances but, if you don’t take them, then that sort of thing can happen. With the quality and the world-class players we have, if we play as a team, giving everything out on the pitch, we are very hard to beat”.

“We were able to maintain the difference”.

“Last year we went there with our buttocks clenched, I apologies for the language, but we need to have the same mentality”. “If the game had ended in the 89th minute you (the media) would not be asking me this”.

“The games come thick and fast and we have to win and hope Madrid slip up”. “We have to find a way to show our strength when playing at home and keep putting pressure on Madrid”. It was a very even first half and a second where we were better, we created chances.

However, Barca started the second-half on the front foot and got the goal they badly needed to kickstart their title defence when Neymar’s free-kick from the left found Suarez somehow unmarked to head home from point blank range.

A win from Barcelona would have closed the six-point gap to three, but the host had to settle for their third league draw on Saturday.

“We are disappointed because at the very last minute, they equalise, and of course that’s football, everything can change”. This is his habit, as AS columnist Alfredo Relano put it: “Dramatic goals in major matches, which means we remember him [Ramos] more for those than for his long, efficient defensive career”. It’s the way he is. “It’s what he has, a big personality and in games like this he’s always there, always encouraging players and never drops his guard”.