Andres Iniesta doesn’t believe Barcelona’s defeat to Real Madrid in El Clasico will affect their Champions League game against Atletico Madrid.
Barca meet Atletico on Tuesday having lost at home to Los Blancos through Cristiano Ronaldo’s late winner, ending their 39-game unbeaten run.
“Mentally it won’t affect the game on Tuesday. It hurts us because losing hurts everyone and we didn’t add the points but we have to consider the things we haven’t done well so we don’t repeat them on Tuesday, another competition,” the Barca skipper said, Marca reports.
“We have to try to improve for Tuesday. We continue in the League and we’re in a very good position.”
Iniesta denied that Barca were suffering from a lack of fitness, and admitted it was disappointing to lose on a day that also saw the late Johan Cruyff honoured.
“It’s a pity, that on a day like this, when we all had Cruyff in mind, that we couldn’t win,” he lamented.
“I don’t think anything can be attributed to our physical condition. At 1-1 we lacked control and positioning. We were caught on counter-attacks and they’re very dangerous. It was more an issue of positioning.”
Iniesta concluded, though, that Barca are still well-placed in La Liga, and didn’t rule out a late Madrid title challenge.
“It’s the League, there are options until the end,” he noted regarding the Clasico winners.
“We’re still in a privileged position. It would have been better if we hadn’t lost but nothing happens.”
