Sid Lowe

But I think we sometimes overlook the intelligence to close things down, the intelligence to speed up and slow down the game according to what Barcelona need, that prevents the other team from being able to put the pressure on, win the ball back, that prevents the other team from having the possession and being able to have the time to look at that pass and go, right, there's the space behind the high line.

We've analysed the high line endlessly.

But it's also about the midfield and Pedri is a key part of that.

And then, as you say, you look at that pass for Lamine today and you look at the quality that he has to pick that ball out that isn't really there.

Now, I know this is said before, but maybe it's worth just reminding ourselves of how a lot of us are looking at him and thinking, wow, he's got a bit of Xavi and a bit of Iniesta.

How good a player are you if you've got a bit of the two best midfielders that Spain maybe has ever produced?

I think the reaction to the performance was that they got away with it.

That this was a really, really poor performance from Real Madrid, in my opinion.

I thought they went for a spell in the second half where Rayo Vallecano were the better side.

It was very interesting seeing Rayo kind of shift through phases.

A phase in the first half where they were hoping to sit deep, rob the ball and run.

And then the second half, they started to use the ball.

And Madrid really and truly couldn't get to that ball very often.

They had a couple of chances, Madrid, as you say, that opportunity for Mbappé.

I think, by the way, the answer to Shaq's question about what's the goalkeeper doing, I think there's a moment in which he realises, hang on, if I commit a foul here, I'm off.

And he just gets out of the way.

I don't want anything to do with this.

I am keeping well out of here.

I'm not running the risk of him diving over me and getting me a red card or him bumping into me and getting a red card.

And then, of course, once they went down to 10 men, it was much, much harder for Ryan and Madrid, I felt, who were slightly chaotic.