Mourinho Seeks to Cut Six-Point Deficit in Sunday El Clasico
Real Madrid manager hopes for a win at Camp Nou to close the gap on league leaders Barcelona, who have lost one of their last two matches.
By Carmen Wojcik ·
Barcelona leads Real Madrid by six points in the La Liga standings. A victory for the Spanish champions on Sunday would extend that margin to nine points. Real Madrid currently sits in second place after winning four consecutive matches. The team enters the match at Camp Nou with a recent surge in form.
Jose Mourinho returns to the Real Madrid dugout for the fixture. The 63-year-old manager previously held the position from 2010. He has coached 17 El Clasicos during his career. Florentino Perez, the Real Madrid president, hired Mourinho in 2010 to challenge Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona. The Portuguese manager aims to secure the league title for the Bernabeu for the second time.
Hansi Flick, Barcelona’s manager, noted that his team suffered its first defeat of the season on Tuesday. Barcelona lost 4-2 to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. Flick stated that the loss provided specific areas for improvement. He described the squad as being in an initial phase of development.
Flick emphasized that the team has only been together for about two months. He noted that players returned from the World Cup during the preseason. The manager said comparing the current squad to more established teams is unfair. He expects a Madrid side arriving with a lot of confidence.
Mourinho described the upcoming match as unique. He stated that previous form does not influence the outcome of an El Clasico. The manager said the football world stops to watch the event. He expressed hope that the match will be a great game and that Real Madrid will win.
Flick called the fixture the best match in their sport. He acknowledged that while the game is worth three points, its importance goes beyond that. Both managers expect a unique encounter. The match takes place on Sunday at Camp Nou.
Real Madrid has lost six of the last seven Clasicos. A win on Sunday would halve the current six-point gap in the league table. The result would also provide a confidence boost for the Madrid side. Barcelona seeks to maintain its position as league leaders.
