Before the El Clasico, Barcelona manager Xavi outlines his ‘inferiority complex.’
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Barcelona manager Xavi
Xavi encouraged Barcelona to improve their performances against Real Madrid, but he questioned whether his club had an “inferiority complex” against their Clasico opponents. Barcelona is 15 points behind Carlo Ancelotti’s La Liga leaders and has lost their last five meetings in all competitions versus Real Madrid.
Between April 1962 and February 1965, Los Blancos had a seven-game winning streak in confrontations between the two rivals, which was the only time the streak was broken. Barcelona on the other hand has ascended to third place in the league since Xavi’s arrival, with 34 points from 15 games in La Liga, a record only surpassed by Real Madrid during that time span (39 points).
The Blaugrana’s head coach wants his players to use their recent form to make up for prior losses against Ancelotti’s side. “I don’t know if there was any complication, I didn’t have it,” Xavi told reporters at a press conference ahead of Saturday’s game when asked about Barca’s recent Clasico record.
“It is a great opportunity to change history, and winning can greatly support what we are working on. I don’t know if we come with more confidence than in previous years, but we have a lot of strength and enthusiasm when we face a good-looking opponent.”
“We have to be brave, try to force our views, but also calm down because there will be times for everything. In my experience, I can convey calm; it’s just another three-point chance, and we should try to enjoy the event. Fortunately, I have good memories of great wins and good feelings playing very good games there [at the Santiago Bernabeu] and winning, something that doesn’t always happen.”
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Xavi gives honest assessment of Barcelona’s game against Real Madrid:
Barcelona will be benefited from the confirmed absence of Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema, who went out at the conclusion of Monday’s 3-0 victory against Real Mallorca. This season, the France international leads the LaLiga scoring statistics with 22 goals, scoring once per 93.6 minutes on average, and also has 11 assists.
Xavi admitted that Benzema’s injury will be a setback for Madrid, since the striker has scored in two of his last three encounters with Barcelona in all competitions, as much as he had in his previous 16 meetings with the Blaugrana.
“Benzema is one of the best strikers in the world, losing him is a lot, but for us, our style does not change,” Xavi said. “I think it could change something for them. How to replace Benzema is a question for Ancelotti, but he has options.”
Even with a win in the Spanish capital, Xavi admits Barcelona’s prospects of winning the league remain quite modest. When asked if there was more pressure to win versus Madrid in order to trigger a late push, he replied, “I don’t see it that way, the pressure remains the same.”
“If we win, we will be close to the first goal, which will be in the Champions League next season. But winning the league I find it weird. We could be between 12 points, we have a game in hand, it’s weird. If we win, I see a parallel with 2004 [a 2-1 victory in Madrid]. That victory didn’t help us win the league, but it did strengthen us and shift the dynamics, as it may today.” Says the former Spanish midfielder.
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Aaryan Choksi
(100 Articles Published)