Barcelona head into El Clasico in the best form of their season and keen to make a statement against their arch rivals Real Madrid on Sunday night.
The excitement coming out of Can Barca has been palpable, as for the first time in years, Barcelona look like they are on the up again. Add into that mix the fact that Barcelona are on a five-game losing streak against Los Blancos, there is no shortage of motivation for Xavi Hernandez’s young squad.
In fact, that’s one of the chief concerns amongst the technical staff at Barcelona according to Toni Juanmarti of Sport. They are keen to ensure that the adrenaline does not cloud the judgement of their younger players on the ball, or lead to Barcelona running more than necessary.
Pedri, Gavi, Ferran Torres and Ronald Araujo have all featured in El Clasico before but none of them are veterans of the fixture either.
The other key issues that the staff are keen to impress on their charges are set-pieces and transitions. The former is likely to be a threat for Los Blancos with David Alaba, Casemiro and Eder Militao all representing a powerful aerial presence. Counter-attacks are also a lethal weapon for Real Madrid, thus Xavi wants to ensure Barcelona are always prepared for a possible loss of possession.
