Barcelona centre-back Pau Cubarsí has dismissed fixture congestion as an excuse for his side's 2-1 La Liga defeat to Real Madrid at the Estadio Camp Nou, accepting full responsibility for the loss.

A brace from Kylian Mbappé handed Los Blancos the victory, bringing an end to Barcelona's perfect record in their La Liga title defence on a high-stakes night in Catalonia.

Cubarsí takes responsibility

The young defender was frank in his post-match assessment, acknowledging the physical toll of a gruelling run of fixtures while refusing to let that serve as justification for the result.

"I don't want to use this as an excuse, but the schedule has been extremely packed. We've had a lot of matches and played a lot of minutes," Cubarsí said after the game.

"It's natural to feel some fatigue, but we can't use that to justify the defeat."

The loss came during Barcelona's fifth match in just 15 days since the international break — a stretch that tested the squad's depth and fitness. Despite the punishing schedule, Cubarsí made clear the players hold themselves to a higher standard.

What's next for Barcelona

Barcelona will look to bounce back quickly, with a home La Liga fixture against Alavés scheduled for October 31 giving the Catalan club the opportunity to respond on their own turf.