Xavi calls on Barca to 'show their personality' in 'spectacular' Clasico
Barcelona have 'maximum' motivation for the Clasico, according to Xavi, who urged the Blaugrana to 'be brave and show some personality' against Real Madrid on Sunday.
The two La Liga heavyweights set the tone from the start of the season, with Barca edging their arch-rivals on superior goal difference after both had 22 points in eight games.
Those unbeaten records will be on the line when they face off at the Santiago Bernabeu, where Xavi orchestrated a stunning 4-0 victory in his first LaLiga Clasico as manager in March.
Tata Martino, in 2014, was the last Barça manager to win his first two Clasicos in La Liga.
Former midfielder Xavi appeared in 42 Clasicos as a player - a tally only bettered by Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos (both 45) - and won 17 for Barca while racking up five goals and eight assists.
Knowing exactly what is required in this game, he gave a rallying cry during his press conference on Saturday.
“I would like to stay as a footballer to play these kinds of games. It is spectacular to play such a game,” Xavi said.
“This is where you need to stand up and be counted; as a coach too. several competition leaders.
“We have to play as a unit; we have to be compact, we have to be brave and have character. The evidence of [what you can achieve] is very clear; last year.
“The impact on morale if we come out of a game like this with a good result would be significant. But it's still early days. We're still building; we have to keep going.”
Xavi has revealed left-back Marcos Alonso could link up with Eric Garcia in the heart of defense as Barca look to keep Madrid's attacking options at bay, including seven-goal top scorer Vinicius Junior .
But when asked about tackling the Vinicius threat, the Blaugrana coach insisted his side weren't just concerned about the in-form Brazil international.
"It's not just Vinícius that we have to stop; it's also [Karim] Benzema, Rodrygo, [Federico] Valverde," added Xavi. its players.
"It's a huge game. It's not about how we stop Vinícius; it's about how we stop Madrid."
Barcelona have 'maximum' motivation for the Clasico, according to Xavi, who urged the Blaugrana to 'be brave and show some personality' against Real Madrid on Sunday.
The two La Liga heavyweights set the tone from the start of the season, with Barca edging their arch-rivals on superior goal difference after both had 22 points in eight games.
Those unbeaten records will be on the line when they face off at the Santiago Bernabeu, where Xavi orchestrated a stunning 4-0 victory in his first LaLiga Clasico as manager in March.
Tata Martino, in 2014, was the last Barça manager to win his first two Clasicos in La Liga.
Former midfielder Xavi appeared in 42 Clasicos as a player - a tally only bettered by Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos (both 45) - and won 17 for Barca while racking up five goals and eight assists.
Knowing exactly what is required in this game, he gave a rallying cry during his press conference on Saturday.
“I would like to stay as a footballer to play these kinds of games. It is spectacular to play such a game,” Xavi said.
“This is where you need to stand up and be counted; as a coach too. several competition leaders.
“We have to play as a unit; we have to be compact, we have to be brave and have character. The evidence of [what you can achieve] is very clear; last year.
“The impact on morale if we come out of a game like this with a good result would be significant. But it's still early days. We're still building; we have to keep going.”
Xavi has revealed left-back Marcos Alonso could link up with Eric Garcia in the heart of defense as Barca look to keep Madrid's attacking options at bay, including seven-goal top scorer Vinicius Junior .
But when asked about tackling the Vinicius threat, the Blaugrana coach insisted his side weren't just concerned about the in-form Brazil international.
"It's not just Vinícius that we have to stop; it's also [Karim] Benzema, Rodrygo, [Federico] Valverde," added Xavi. its players.
"It's a huge game. It's not about how we stop Vinícius; it's about how we stop Madrid."
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