After the Clasico defeat: Cancelo defends Barcelona's players with a fiery message

We will respond forcefully

Joao Cancelo has fired off a sharp and defiant message in defence of himself and his Barcelona team-mates after the Clasico, insisting the side will come back stronger.

Barcelona slipped to a 1-2 home defeat against their traditional rivals Real Madrid in a match littered with controversy. The result cut the gap between the Blaugrana and Los Blancos in the La Liga title race to three points in Madrid's favour.

Candid and realistic, Cancelo stressed that confidence is the only weapon to get past this setback. "We have to keep our self-belief, that is part of being professional players, and part of the nature of the profession we practise," he said.

The Portugal international spoke about the immense psychological pressure Barcelona's players carry amid the wild swings in reaction from fans and media. "We know very well the scale of the pressure we face," he added. "When we lose we are criticised, and when we win everyone treats us as if we are gods. But this is football, and we have to deal with it."

Inside the Catalan club's dressing room, Cancelo insists the mood stays united and the work goes on in earnest to put things right. "I and all my team-mates work very hard every day, and there is extremely high quality in training," he explained.

The defender signed off with a message of reassurance to the Barcelona faithful, vowing a strong response in the next match to make amends and get back to winning ways. "That is why I am completely confident that we will show a strong reaction, and we will seek to secure the win in the next match," he said.