Madrid (AFP)
Real Madrid wants to kill two birds with one stone, when it hosts its arch-rivals Barcelona in the “classic” match at the Santiago Bernabeu, in the ninth stage of the Spanish Football Championship on Sunday.
The royal team, which is excited by reaching the final price of the Champions League, is trying to beat its rival to take the lead from it on the one hand, and deal a second moral blow in less than four days, following the “Catalan” team fell into the trap of a 3-3 draw with Inter, which made the task of Reaching the final price is almost impossible.
The two teams enter the confrontation between them and they have not lost any match in the local league and have 22 points, and Barcelona is superior in goal difference.
Real Madrid also wants to avenge its loss on the same stadium last season, with a clean four, without preventing it from winning the title at the end of the season.
Barcelona’s trip on the continental level was difficult, as the draw made him fall into a difficult group alongside Bayern Munich and Inter, then the arbitration decisions were not in his favour, especially in the first leg once morest Inter, which he lost 0-1, in addition to the injuries that affected his ranks, especially line of defense.
Xavi said following the disappointing equalizer once morest Inter: It’s a very harsh and harsh blow.
He added: Now we have to think regarding Madrid, get up from the stumble and try to beat Madrid at the Bernabeu, which will not be easy.
He said: “Let’s leave the Champions League aside, and focus on the Spanish League. We are leaders, and we want to stay in first place. We hope that this does not affect us psychologically or the morale of the players.”
Barcelona have to face Madrid with the right mentality, by turning their players’ frustration into positive anger and steel determination, but if that turns into despair they are in danger of collapse, as happened once morest Inter.
Barcelona advanced shortly before the end of the first half through Frenchman Ousmane Dembele, but following receiving the equalizer from Nicolo Barilla at the beginning of the second half, they collapsed defensively, as their players took the initiative to attack relentlessly, and their team received goals from quick counter-attacks.
This scenario was similar to what happened in the second half once morest Celta Vigo in the local league, where the Catalan team owes its German goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen a 1-0 win, following saving his own goal from more than one sure goal.
On the other hand, Real Madrid played poorly in Poland once morest Shakhtar Donetsk of Ukraine in the Champions League, but despite that he knew how to come out with a 1-1 draw when German defender Antonio Rudiger scored a goal in the killer time.
“We showed that we never give up,” Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said.
“We played very badly, and that can happen in football, but the important thing is not to give up when things don’t go.”
Real French striker Karim Benzema has recovered from a minor injury, and will be ready for the expected match, knowing that he has not scored any goal in five consecutive matches, hoping to break his fast before heading to Paris the next day to attend the Golden Ball ceremony, which will most likely be his share.
Barcelona relies, as usual, on its Polish top scorer Robert Lewandowski, who leads the league’s top scorer with 9 goals, and saved him from loss, and thus exit when he scored a 3-3 equalizer in the last gasp once morest Inter.
Antoine Griezmann – After he officially moved to Atletico Madrid until 2026, following reaching an agreement with his former team Barcelona to cancel the loan contract between the two teams, Griezmann will be available to play a full match, the role of the striker was limited to playing for only a few minutes since the beginning of the season, as the club tried to conclude New loan deal with Barcelona Griezmann played well once morest Girona last weekend, helping his side’s 2-1 win with an assist to Angel Correa.
