Gareth Bale revealed he “couldn’t believe” his goal in Real Madrid’s 2-1 Clasico victory over Barcelona on Saturday was disallowed.
Bale appeared to have scored a perfectly-legitimate goal when he outjumped Jordi Alba to head the ball past Claudio Bravo before Cristiano Ronaldo’s winner, but referee Alejandro Hernandez Hernandez had other ideas as he adjudged the forward to have pushed the left-back.
“I think [La Liga’s] possible if we believe we can do it,” he said after the game.
“We know it won’t be easy, but we can give ourselves a chance.
“The most important thing from the win is that it builds us up and helps us to feel strong.
“I couldn’t believe [the referee] disallowed my goal.
“The referee told me I pushed [Alba], but I didn’t touch him. I’m taller and I made sure not to touch him because I know how what the refs are like in Spain.
“We knew we had the strength to counterattack. We always felt we could beat them on the counter, even though we had 10 men.
“We prepared well for the game. We believed in ourselves and worked hard on our fitness. We feel strong and confident. It’s a boost for the season finale.
“[On whether the result affects Barca’s psyche], it's what we hope for.
“If we want to win the League, we had to win this match. I’ve played in many derbies and this was one of the best.
“Although we’re still far behind in the League, it’s always nice to beat them. It’s a great victory for the club, the Coach and players.”
