Mascherano: No more bad blood

Javier Mascherano has insisted that there is no longer any bad blood between Barcelona and Espanyol following Wednesday’s Copa del Rey last-16 second leg.

Provocations after the final whistle overshadowed the first leg, which resulted in Luis Suarez’s two-game ban, but the Argentine felt the return game, Barca having ran out 2-0 winners and 6-1 on aggregate to reach the quarter-finals, was a cleaner affair.

“We tried to maintain the difference that we had from the first leg and it was a deserved win,” he said after the game.

“It was a game with intensity but nothing unusual, and the home fans were just supporting their team.

“We’ve got through a difficult tie and we’re very happy to reach the next round.

“There’s no bad feeling between the two teams after what happened in the first leg.”

La Liga - Club News