Barcelona leave "with a bitter feeling" after Napoli draw, says Araujo

Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo said the 'Cules' could have won Wednesday's Champions League last-16 first leg and admitted that he leaves with "a bitter feeling" after the 1-1 draw at Napoli.

"We could have won. We leave with a bitter feeling because we could have left here with a win," said the Uruguayan in statements to 'Movistar Liga de Campeones'.

From the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium pitch, Araujo admitted to being "a little sad about the result" and stressed that his team played "very well" in the first half hour, in which the players were "very intense", although he said that Napoli had more possession in the last 15 minutes of the first half.

"We showed that we are a great team and that we can compete," said the centre-back, who lamented the fact that they conceded a goal in one of the few chances the hosts had, despite a "very good defensive performance" against "very good" strikers.

Araujo admitted that Barcelona failed to "slow down" the game and "not always try to dribble", and gave an optimistic message for the second leg at the Olímpic Lluís Companys Stadium: "We'll be playing at home in front of our own fans and we're going to give everything we've got to get through the round".

 

February 22, 2024