João Cancelo has insisted that Barcelona delivered the better performance despite losing 2-1 to Real Madrid in El Clásico, arguing that his side created more scoring opportunities but failed to make them count.

In comments shared by transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano on X, the Portuguese defender expressed his belief that Barcelona had done enough in the match to deserve a more favourable result. However, he acknowledged Real Madrid’s ability to capitalise on limited chances, a quality that ultimately proved decisive in the contest.

“We were better than Real Madrid,” Cancelo said.

“We had more chances of goal, but this is Real Madrid. They only need a few chances,” he added.

Cancelo’s assessment suggested that Barcelona’s defeat was not necessarily a reflection of their overall attacking performance. Instead, he pointed to the difference in how the two teams used their opportunities, with Real Madrid proving more efficient in front of goal.

The encounter, played on Sunday, October 25, ended with Madrid securing a 2-1 victory over their longstanding rivals. The result handed the visitors an important win in one of Spanish football’s most closely watched fixtures and left Barcelona disappointed after missing the chance to prevail in the famous rivalry.

For Cancelo, the number of opportunities Barcelona created remained an important part of his evaluation of the game. He appeared convinced that his team had shown enough attacking intent to challenge Madrid, even though their efforts did not translate into a winning result.

However, the defender did not provide specific figures to support his claim that Barcelona created more chances. His remarks therefore reflected his personal assessment of the contest rather than a detailed statistical comparison between the teams.

The result nevertheless illustrated how crucial finishing can be in matches involving two sides with strong attacking players. Creating opportunities can give a team an advantage, but failing to convert them may allow an opponent to remain competitive and eventually take control of the game.

Real Madrid demonstrated that efficiency by making better use of their scoring opportunities and securing the victory. Against opponents capable of punishing defensive mistakes, missed chances can become particularly costly, especially when the contest is closely fought.

Cancelo’s comments also offered a glimpse into Barcelona’s perspective following the defeat. While the result favoured Madrid, the defender maintained that his team had performed well in terms of creating attacking openings. His argument was that Barcelona’s inability to finish those chances, rather than a lack of attacking threat, had contributed to the disappointing outcome.

Nevertheless, the official scoreline remains the defining measure of the encounter, with Real Madrid taking all three points after winning 2-1. Cancelo’s assessment does not change the result, but it highlights the distinction between creating opportunities and converting them into goals.

Madrid will take confidence from their success, while Barcelona must focus on improving their finishing and turning promising attacking play into results in future matches. For Cancelo, the central lesson from El Clásico was clear: against a team as clinical as Real Madrid, even a strong performance can end in defeat if scoring opportunities are wasted.