Barcelona skipper Raphinha vows to have 'spectacular end' to the season after Copa del Rey exit

Barcelona skipper Raphinha was not absolutely happy with the 4-3 aggregate loss against Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey semi final, but he was hopeful for a positive end to the season.

Big fight from Barcelona

In the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi final, Barcelona beat Atletico Madrid but faced elimination out of the competition 4-3 on aggregate. The Catalan club was just two goals away from making one of the best comebacks in the history of the sport.

Hansi Flick's side played with high intensity throughout the 90 minutes, but fell short by a small margin.

Raphina aims for an extraordinary end to the season

After the game, Raphinha interacted with the media and showed trust in the players by saying that everyone gave their best to turn the tables in their favour. He also appreciated Atletico Madrid's performance.

"I'm proud of the team. We gave everything from the start. We’re disappointed because we wanted to be in the final. We deserved it for today’s match. We have to respect what Atlético has done; they’re a great team. They did very well, defending their lead," Raphinha told Movistar.

He also noted that Barca could have done better in the first leg of the semi-final where they lost 4-0.

"We gave it our all, and coming back from 4-0 down is no easy feat. We could have done better in the first leg, but there’s no point in making excuses," Raphinha added.

Raphinha expressed his gratitude for the fans' support in an important game, where they were just one goal away from levelling the aggregate.

"With the fans’ support, it was much easier. We were just one goal away from leveling the tie. I’m leaving feeling quite proud, with more positives than negatives," said Raphinha.

In the end, Raphinha expressed hopefulness for having an extraordinary end to the season, only if they continue to play with this tempo.

“If we keep playing like we did today, we’ll have a spectacular end to the season,” concluded Raphinha.

Title hopes for Barcelona

As of now, Barcelona lead the LaLiga standings, with 64 points in 26 games. The Catalan club will face Newcastle in the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League. Barca will have to maintain their intensity to stay alive in these two tournaments.