Spain After beating Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League, coach Xavi said Barca are in good form, have no more injuries and are ready for the classic match with Real this weekend.
"We want to dominate the game by having a lot of possession. It's important not to lose the ball and to stay in good positions, because Real can destroy you. We are 100% ready for El Clasico," Xavi said after the win in the third round of Group H of the Champions League, when asked about the plan for the match against Real on October 28.
The first El Clasico of the season was soon "heated up" by a message from Miquel Camps, a member of the Barca board, on the social network X. "This is not racism. Vinicius deserves a slap for being a clown on the pitch. What is the point of doing unnecessary and meaningless footwork in the middle of the pitch?", Camps wrote after Real's 2-1 win over Braga in the Champions League on October 24. Camps quickly deleted the post, but it caused a huge controversy in Spain.
Coach Xavi in Barca's 2-1 win over Shakhtar in the third round of Group H of the Champions League on November 25. Photo: fcbarcelona.com
Barca vice-president Rafa Yuste admitted that Camps' post was inappropriate and that it would not happen again. "Even if it was a mistake, it should not have been published. It was an inappropriate post," Yuste told Vinicius on Movistar .
Xavi also apologized to the Real striker and admitted that the incident created an ugly atmosphere and unnecessary tension ahead of El Clasico. "If Camps has deleted the post, then I don't need to say anything," the Spanish coach said. "I don't like anything that creates tension, whether it's the impact on the referee or a post like that. I want El Clasico to be beautiful with mutual admiration. I won't be the one to cause any tension. Asking about these things will also create a bad atmosphere."
Barca are currently without a number of key players due to injury, including Sergi Roberto, Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Frenkie De Jong, Pedri and Jules Kounde. Xavi insists he will not risk using any players who have not recovered from injury. "If we can pick up one of the injured players for El Clasico, that would be positive, but we will not force anyone to play. Everyone is doing their part to try to get back," he said.
At Montjuic - Barca's home ground this season while the Camp Nou is being renovated - on October 25, Barca beat Shakhtar Donetsk 2-1 thanks to young midfielder Fermin Lopez. In the 28th minute, Lopez's shot hit the crossbar and bounced off, allowing Ferran Torres to volley into an empty goal. Eight minutes later, the Spanish midfielder's shot from the edge of the penalty area hit the post, but still went into the net. Lopez also hit the woodwork and had a goal ruled out for offside in the second half.
Fermin Lopez scored the second goal as Barca defeated Shakhtar 2-1 in the third round of Group H of the Champions League on October 25. Photo: AS
Xavi praised Lopez - the youngster who played for third-tier club Linares on loan last season - for becoming an important player and will be a mainstay of Barca for many years to come. The Spanish coach praised his student for his energetic and creative play, good long-range shooting and good positioning in the penalty area.
Xavi also said Barca wasted many chances and should have won 4-1 or 5-1, but was satisfied with the three important points. Barca now have nine points and will progress if they beat Shakhtar in the next round on November 7. The 43-year-old coach revealed that Joao Felix - who was replaced by Marc Guiu in the 75th minute due to a knee problem - is not seriously injured and will recover in time for El Clasico.
Two seasons ago, Barca stopped at the Champions League group stage. In the 2021-2022 season, Xavi's team finished third in the group stage and had to play in the Europa League - where they lost 3-4 on aggregate to Eintracht Frankfurt in the quarter-finals. A similar scenario happened last season, when Barca continued to finish third in the group stage, then lost 3-4 to Man Utd in the Europa League play-off.
Hong Duy
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