Barcelona teenage sensation Pau Cubarsí didn’t mince his words after Barça’s frustrating 1-1 draw with Real Betis.

In a statement that has already begun to echo across Spanish football, the 17-year-old centre-back declared: “We could have killed Real Madrid, but we let them live.”

It’s a sentiment many Barça fans will echo. Saturday’s draw at the Benito Villamarín was more than just two points dropped — it was a golden opportunity to tighten the noose around Madrid’s title hopes. A victory would’ve seen Barça extend their lead to six points over their eternal rivals, with just eight games remaining.

Instead, a moment of sloppiness — or perhaps complacency — allowed Betis to snatch a point and keep the title race on a knife edge.

Cubarsí, who has quickly emerged as one of the revelations of the season under Hansi Flick, also stressed the need for consistency: “We can’t rule out Atletico Madrid either. We have to win every match if we want to win La Liga.”

He’s absolutely right. Atlético, too, are hanging on to faint hopes, and any slip-up from the top two could prove costly.

Interestingly, the Madrid camp has its own regrets. Had Los Blancos held their nerve against Valencia instead of falling to a 2-1 defeat at the Bernabéu, they would now be just a single point behind Barça.

But “ifs” don’t win titles. The reality is simple: Barcelona still lead the race by four points. Yet there’s a sense they may look back at the Betis draw as a moment where they could have slammed the door shut on Real Madrid — and didn’t.

Pau Cubarsí’s fiery post-match comments show maturity beyond his years. He understands the weight of missed chances. As the title race heads into its final chapter, Barcelona can’t afford to show mercy again.

Now is not the time to be generous — it’s time to be ruthless.

Visca Barça.