“Barcelona are dead right now” Carlo Ancelotti sends strong message to his players ahead of the El Clasico.
On Sunday, Barcelona will travel to Madrid to face their bitter rivals Real Madrid in the first El Clasico of the 2022–23 season.
In this match, the top spot in the La Liga standings will be at stake. Barça now holds the advantage in the title battle over Los Blancos thanks to goal differential.
However, after the team’s 3-3 draw with Inter Milan, which put them on the verge of being eliminated from the UEFA Champions League, confidence may be low in the camp going into the game.
And Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti reportedly told his players that it is the proper time to attack Barcelona and make sure they punish the Catalans on Sunday, according to journalist Tomas Roncero on El Chiringuito TV.
Ancelotti reportedly sent his team a message before a Thursday training session that went something like this:
“Barça are currently out of the picture, and the only way they can come back is if they defeat us on Sunday. They cannot triumph once more. This is the last.
Real Madrid, like Barcelona, may have been held to a draw by Inter in their most recent match, but they were still able to get a point against Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League, which was sufficient for them to advance to the next round.
On their previous trip to the Santiago Bernabeu in March of this year, Barça did demolish Real Madrid 4-0. And Xavi and his teammates must take heart from that experience before their weekend journey to the Spanish capital.
While winning El Clasico won’t make everything right after the team’s performance in the Champions League, it will undoubtedly relieve some pressure and may serve as a springboard for the remainder of the season.
