Xavi Hernández

“We suffered more than we thought we would against a super team, even though we dominated up until the 15th minute of the second half.”

“At the Bernabéu we were superior, today, not so much, but we won the tie. It’s time to enjoy it and celebrate.”

Asked about Barca’s performance in the second half when they conceded two goals, Xavi said it was a “mental problem” and “the team disconnected a little bit and we lost control”.

“The supporters were with us and the mosaic started us off in spectacular fashion. Sometimes you forget what this team is accomplishing, but it’s extremely difficult and we have to enjoy it. Seeing how difficult it was [reaching the semis], we enjoy it all the more.”

“Both [Alexis and Iniesta] are very important absences, especially because both of them were giving a lot to the team. The boss will have to solve the puzzle and replace them, but we have players in the reserve side that are very good and we’ll make it to the end of the season [with a chance to win].”

“The referee issue is relative. When you finish a game you think that he was against you but Madrid thinks the same thing, even though the red card [play] from Lass was obvious. I think the ref called the game fairly.”

“I’m really enjoying this period. From now on every season is an extra year. I love Barça, they have the best team in the world and I hope to remain here for many years to come.”

Iker Casillas

“I believe everyone watches these games and we had chances to score from the first second of play. They were lucky to score in five minutes. We played our game and stood our ground… We gave a ten out of ten performance and we’re proud to be Madridistas. I’m sad but also happy because we proved to be superior.”

“We shouldn’t think back on last week and instead stick to today’s work. Last week, people were saying Barcelona were three steps above us, but today they’ll say we’re equal. Every match is a world in its own. This always changes.”

“We’ve left a championship we won last year and we must focus on others. Some refereeing decisions were detrimental to us. It’s true we’ve said it was impossible to win here because there are always small details that make it so.”

Xabi Alonso

“We gave a very good performance. It’s a shame really, but feeling we were superior is important.”

“We had to score three goals and we didn’t manage it, but we fought to the end. We knew it would be difficult but we tried to the very end.”

“The team showcased psychological strength. We never gave up and continued to fight. It just didn’t happen.”

“Our two goals may not have been enough to win the tie, but we’re proud because we were better than them. We may have lacked a little luck. We had more chances to score than them throughout the match.”

Pepe

“We had a great sense of sacrifice and feel proud because we proved we are a united group of players and played better than Barcelona. I defend my team and we’ll make Madridistas proud. The fans must feel proud of the players. We’ll fight to earn that.”

Granero

“We should be satisfied. We should have won because we were better. I think we were unlucky, but we did a very good job.”

Arbeloa

“We’re happy with our performance tonight. We didn’t win because we weren’t lucky with our chances. We could have easily won because we were better. We played better and had more chances to score than Barcelona.”

“We’ve managed to get rid of our psychological anxiety and fear to lose against Barcelona. It’s hard to be strengthened after being eliminated, but we realise we can defeat them and we’re looking forward ot our next meeting.”

“We would like referees to be fairer. The ref hurt us in small details. Some fouls and bookings we saw hurt us, and you can’t end the match when a foul has been made in midfield.”