El Clasico giants are at the top of their game

Andy West 06:30 20/10/2014
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  • Rivalry: Barcelona coach Luis Enrique is looking forward to this weekend's El Clasico at the Bernabéu Stadium.

    Barcelona and Real Madrid are heading into next weekend’s mouthwatering El Clasico in top form, according to respective managers Luis Enrique and Carlo Ancelotti.

    Both teams warmed up for the encounter by securing comfortable victories on Saturday, with Madrid particularly impressive as they thrashed hapless Levante 5-0, while Barca were forced to be patient to earn an ultimately straightforward 3-0 home success over Eibar.

    The results leave Barca four points clear of their perennial rivals at the top of La Liga, having picked up 22 points out of a maximum 24, scoring 22 goals and conceding none in the process.

    Enrique was satisfied with his team’s display against Eibar but attempted to downplay expecta­tions for El Clasico, insisting his team will attempt to approach it as just another game.

    “We’ll be going there with the intention of winning the game and being the better side, as we always do,” said Enrique, who also claimed that his team’s four-point advan­tage is not particularly significant as he joked: “The ideal situation would be if they had zero points. Whatever happens, it won’t be decisive.”

    Ancelotti was somewhat more upbeat after watching his team ease to their sixth consecutive victory in all competitions, scoring 27 goals in the process, with their 5-0 demoli­tion of Levante.

    After a slow start to the cam­paign, Ancelotti believes his team have now found their rhythm and said: “You don’t score goals without effort and concentration. The best players know that. We are in good shape – both mentally and physi­cally. The players have shown that we have a very competitive squad. The pace of the team was good and the players have all done very well.”

    Madrid’s victory featured two more goals from the unstoppable Cristiano Ronaldo, meaning the Portuguese star has now made the fastest ever start to a La Liga sea­son by netting 15 goals in his team’s opening eight games.

    Asked how much more Ronaldo could give to the team, Ancelotti shrugged and said: “It’s impossible for him to do more. He just has to try to continue his good form and we will all help him to do just that.”

    Barca boss Enrique had equally lavish praise for his team’s biggest superstar, Lionel Messi, who is now just one goal short of Telmo Zarra's all-time La Liga record of 251 goals after scoring against Eibar last weekend. 

    “Sometimes I look at whoever’s next to me on the bench and say how lucky we are to have Messi,” Enrique said. “It’s not just what he delivers – he also stimulates his teammates and having him in this form is fantastic.”

    The majority of the 22 places up for grabs in next weekend’s starting line-ups are already decided, but both managers have a handful of big decisions to make and perhaps the most intriguing is whether Enrique will select veteran Xavi in the cen­tre of midfield.

    The Barca legend has reasserted his importance in recent weeks after barely featuring at the start of the campaign, and Enrique laughed: “Well, what a problem for me to have! He helps us when he plays and when he doesn’t play.”

    In the meantime both sides have Champions League ties to focus on, with Barca hosting Ajax tomorrow and Madrid travelling to England to face Liverpool on Wednesday.  

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