Just days after being handed a disappoint 3-1 loss at the hands of their most hated rivals, Barcelona will get a chance at redemption when they take on Real Madrid on Saturday.
Pundits have been questioning Barcelona's system an identity after the team dropped its second straight important match. Barcelona was victimized by AC Milan on Feb. 20 and followed that game with a poor showing against Madrid in front of its fans.
"We need to think hard about the two games we have lost, what we did well and where we can improve," midfielder Andres Iniesta said about recovering from the losses. "We need to recover the sensation of being a compact and infallible team and I am convinced we can do this. We shouldn't forget we are leaders in La Liga and we should try to maintain our advantage."
Midfielder Xavi is reportedly out of the match with a hamstring injury.
Barcelona's woes are of no concern according to Real Madrid and midfielder Kaká. "We are not thinking about sending them into a crisis, we're just thinking about what we need to do," Kaká said.
"It's always great for us to beat Barcelona," he added. "We have now shown we can beat anyone and that has made us feel very positive. We go into the game with a lot of confidence and we have to get three points tomorrow to reduce the gap from 16 points to 13.
Reports indicate that Jose Mourinho is more than satisfied with having beating Barcelona on Tuesday and will save his top player Cristiano Ronaldo for the Champions League battle with Manchester United.
"[Mourinho] hasn't told us what the team will be, he will make the decision tomorrow," Kaká said. "It could be a great occasion for me, to show that I can still do great things for the team in important matches. It will be a great opportunity for me if I play tomorrow."
Prediction: Barcelona wins this 2-1, but I think Madrid plays cautiously with Tuesday on the team's mind.
Start Time: 10 AM EST
TV Info: beIN Sport
- Contribute to this Story:
- Send us a tip
- Send us a photo or video
- Suggest a correction
