Luis Enrique has insisted that the Clasico between Barcelona and Real Madrid on Sunday will not reveal the identity of this season’s La Liga champions.
The Catalans head into the Camp Nou encounter on the back of 17 victories in their last 18 matches and having overtaken Los Blancos, who have struggled for consistency of late, atop the League standings.
“It’s a different match to the others,” the Coach began at his pre-match Press conference.
“They’re our eternal rivals and if we win them, they wouldn’t be able to close the gap [on us], but I don’t think the Clasico will be decisive.
“There are 10 pretty tough matches [remaining after the Clasico]. It’s important but not decisive.
“In general, there isn’t a clear bias [to the home side] in these type of games but it’s still important because our fans can help us.
“[I’ve felt positive sensations from the fans] in the street and heard their comments.
“It’s a stimulating, attractive game and the fans have waited for it all season. We’ll try to win by playing good football.
“I won’t lose too much sleep analysing anything other than our rivals’ performances [on the pitch].
“We’ve analysed Real Madrid and their potential. They’re the reigning European champions, who led La Liga for 16 consecutive rounds, so we’ll need to be at our best in defence and attack.
“We all want to be in a positive dynamic, but at some point it stops. They don’t last forever.
“I expect to face the same Real Madrid as the one which played in the first half of the season, transitioned quickly and dominated many facets of the game.
“We hope to continue our run of form, create more chances than our opponents, control the pace of the game and that our players are at their optimum level.
“We know [what field of work] we’re in and what defeats mean for our work. Being a football coach means managing risk.
“Without the other eight [pulling their weight], [the front three] will have nothing to do. In order to beat Real Madrid, you need 11 men working hard in an attacking and defensive unit.
“These games are special. I’ve been lucky to live long enough [for these experiences].
“We’re going to suffer and hope the fans can channel the euphoria [surrounding the match] into helping the team.
“We also like transitions if they’re accompanied with us blocking our opponents. We’re interested in the playing the ball as far away from our area as possible.”