dyton mupawaenda
FOR weeks it has seemed a near-certainty that Barcelona will win the Spanish LaLiga football title but Real Madrid have clung on to their title defence hopes by their fingertips and arrive at tomorrow’s Clasico within reach of the Catalans.
The match kicks-off at 4:15pm.
After Hansi Flick’s side suffered an agonising extra-time defeat to Inter Milan in the Champions League semifinals on Tuesday, they need to steady themselves quickly to stop their season from crumbling.
Barcelona, who beat Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup finals, lead Los Blancos by four points at the top of the table with four matches remaining.
A home defeat tomorrow at the Olympic Stadium would not be the death knell for their title bid but would ramp up the pressure on Flick’s young, relatively inexperienced charges.
“(We) have to go on, we have five days to prepare and we want to win it,” said the German coach after the loss in Milan in one of the all-time classic Champions League semi-finals.
“(This defeat) must wake up the hunger to win the title, this is important for me.”
After a slump towards the end of 2024, Barcelona were re-energised physically and mentally by the winter break.
Since January they have blown away virtually every team to cross their path, with a 24-match unbeaten streak.
Barcelona’s hunger to win trophies has revealed itself in statistics.
The Catalans have completed the most sprints of any team in LaLiga this season and covered the fifth most distance – by contrast, Real Madrid have run the least and have the third fewest sprints.
However Madrid have been resting up since their win over Celta Vigo in LaLiga last weekend, while Barcelona’s semi-final defeat over 120 minutes by Inter was drained.
“I don’t think this will affect us, it’s a tough blow but this team has an incredible mentality and we will go for LaLiga,” said Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo.
Still recomposing from the Inter defeat, Barcelona cancelled media commitments ahead of the Clasico.
Flick is hoping to bring left-back Alejandro Balde back into the line up after injury, while Robert Lewandowski made his return against Inter Milan too, although he did not appear fully fit.
Barcelona’s best player over the two legs against Inter was teenager Lamine Yamal.
The 17-year-old was a relentless threat on the right flank and even as his teammates tired, he kept trying to break through.
The winger has the most assists in LaLiga with 12 and is the emblem of Flick’s exciting young side.
Barcelona have faced Real Madrid three times this season and won on each occasion, and although Yamal has only scored two of the 12 goals netted by his side, he has been his side’s most dynamic threat against Los Blancos.
“We won’t stop until we leave this club where it deserves, on the highest rung,” he wrote on Instagram after the Champions League defeat.
Wrestling back LaLiga from Madrid would be a good start.
“We’re not at the end,” said Flick, certain his young side, with Yamal, 18-year-old Pau Cubarsi and Pedri, 22, at the core, is just beginning to show what they can do.
Gavi, 20, is another whose best years lie ahead of him. —0 AFP
Online Reporter