Barcelona manager, Luis Enrique, dedicated a lot of his time in the pre-El Clasico press conference. The 46-year-old spoke about their ‘eternal rival’ Real Madrid, their injuries, how they might play against his side a la formation and the return of one of Barcelona’s biggest players.
Barcelona host Real Madrid at the Camp Nou later tonight in this season’s first El Clasico event and Real Madrid are a fair six points ahead of the home side on the La Liga table. Luis Enrique says that's down to the quality of the team and the manager – who remain one of the few top-flight teams yet to lose a game this season in all of Europe.
"We see Real Madrid and Zidane the exact same,” he said when asked about their style this season. “They are very well-organized defensively, don't need the ball to create danger and look for quick transitions. They have top players with world class talent. For us, it is a special game against an eternal rival. We will need to play at our very best."
And when asked about how they'd shuffle around and adapt to a new shape, Enrique said "If they play 4-1-4-1, I think Casemiro will cover space and free Isco to reinforce the middle. The idea is the same, but they could change the personnel. On the system there, I have nothing to say. We will wait to see the final version of their line-up.”
Real Madrid are missing Gareth Bale due to an injury, and he's a massive blow for the side. Barcelona have had their own share of problems with injuries this season but welcome back Andres Iniesta who's been missing these last couple of weeks due to a recurring injury.
And when he was asked about how he felt on the Spaniard's return to the starting lineup, Enrique said, "The best thing is that players recover in order to give something to the team. He is our captain. He is one of the examples of Barcelona's style of play. We will not change for one player and it is a collective game. His return is great news in everything it means."
When further pushed about an update regarding the injuries of Jordi Alba and Gerard Pique, Enrique insists that the decision to play lies with them. "They are in the normal process of players who have had injury problems. They have the ability to decide," he said.
Barcelona host Real Madrid at the Camp Nou at 20.45 IST.
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