Barcelona central defender Gerard Pique considers there is now less tension in Los Clasicos than in previous seasons.
Last Sunday’s 2-2 draw between Barca and Real Madrid passed off without any major incident and Pique feels it is a result of Jose Mourinho not being able to get under the skin of Tito Vilanova’s men.
“With Real Madrid there is not as much tension as there was last year,” Pique told Catalunya Radio.
“Mourinho has realised that he does not have to look for anything at Barcelona because he will not find it, so in the end he is looking closer to home.”
In this sense, the former Manchester United man believes Los Blancos are now paying the price for falling behind Barca in the table.
“When you are behind in La Liga then things are not going too well. Last year was an example, when it took its toll on us.”
On possible problems within the Madrid dressing room the Spanish international was loathe to give an opinion.
“I’ve been in many dressing rooms and there is none better than the one at Barcelona. Madrid have their problems but I don’t want to get involved,” said Pique, who went on to praise former Barca boss Pep Guardiola and current incumbent Tito Vilanova.
“Guardiola meant everything to me. I arrived at the club as a fourth central defender and he gave me everything. Every training session was a brilliant lesson, but now with Tito we have more great years to come.
“Tito has won the dressing room over. He has something special. I knew him when I was a youngster and he was top-class, but now he is a copy of what he once was.
“In Press conferences, for example, he does everything quite naturally. We are expecting some great years with him at the helm.”
Finally, he spoke of fellow defender Carles Puyol, who was recently injured jumping for a corner against Benfica.
“I could go mad at him because he does these kind of things. He never learns. He is not a 24-year-old now and in the 80th minute, when we were leading 2-0, he goes and jumps in that way. But that’s Puyol.
“If he had not done that then it wouldn’t have been Puyol. That’s why he will go down in history as one of the greatest central defenders there has ever been,” concluded Pique.
