Xavi Rates Barcelona & Real Madrid’s Chances of Winning Upcoming El Clasico
The post Xavi Rates Barcelona & Real Madrid’s Chances of Winning Upcoming El Clasico appeared first on The12thMan.
Barcelona manager Xavi said they want to perform better than they did against Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey semi-final first leg earlier this month when the two sides square off in a La Liga fixture in their upcoming game.
Barcelona are currently leading the race for the La Liga title. The Catalan outfit enjoys a nine-point lead at the top of the La Liga points table over second-placed Real Madrid, who are also the defending champions.
Speaking ahead of the match, Xavi said Barcelona want to be better than they were in the Copa del Rey semi-final first leg against Real Madrid earlier this month. Barcelona had won that game 1-0 but received criticism from several quarters for their defensive approach.
When asked who the favourites to win the game is, Xavi said both Real Madrid and Barcelona have a 50% chance each of winning it. He also admitted it will be an important victory for Barcelona if they defeat Real Madrid, but stressed it will not decide the league winners.
“I think it’s 50-50. We have our fans and they will support us, but I think tomorrow’s game is 50% for both teams,” Xavi said.
“If we win tomorrow, it’ll be a very important victory. It certainly will not decide the league, though.”
Xavi also ruled Pedri out of the match against Real Madrid. The Barcelona manager revealed they do not want to lose Pedri for longer periods by rushing him back into action.
“These are matches where you need to be at 100%. If the feelings are not good, there is no need to impose anything. It is not a final match and there will still be 12 matches left, it is not decisive. We don’t want to lose Pedri for another two months.”
Meanwhile, the match between Real Madrid and Barcelona will kick off at 1:30 am Indian Standard Time on March 20.
The post Xavi Rates Barcelona & Real Madrid’s Chances of Winning Upcoming El Clasico appeared first on The12thMan.
