Frenkie de Jong highlights what Barcelona must do to beat Real Madrid | OneFootball

For many fans of the sport, there is perhaps no bigger rivalry in football than that of FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. The two giants of Spanish football have been battling it out for titles and bragging rights since a very long time. Even today, that rivalry remains as strong as ever now that Barcelona are sitting right above Real Madrid at the top of La Liga.

For many different reasons, this game will be one of the most crucial fixtures in La Liga this season. Both for the unbeaten record that is at stake and for the fact that it would either allow Los Blancos to catch up to Barcelona in La Liga or it could end up letting La Blaugrana increase their lead to six points at the top of the table.

Ahead of the game, Barcelona captain and Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong was asked some questions regarding this upcoming El Clasico. As highlighted by SPORT, the Dutchman spoke about the fixture and why exactly it is even more special than it usually is this time around:

“Madrid is one of the best teams in the world with very talented players, but we’re also a great team and in very good shape. I think the game will be truly exciting, especially as we’re fighting for the top spot.”

Later on, however, he did end up suggesting what his team will need to do in order to beat a Real Madrid side that has not lost any games in La Liga this season:

“We have to be at our best in every respect, because Madrid is a strong team. We need to stay focused for the full 90 minutes. You can’t relax against them because they can score two or three goals in a short span, as we all saw against Dortmund.”

As for the unbeaten record, De Jong waved aside the assumption that it gave any sort of extra motivation by itself, claiming instead that winning El Clasico is always an objective:

“The motivation to beat Madrid is always there, but this doesn’t add any extra incentive.”

He also spoke about his own recovery and how he feels heading into El Clasico, while simultaneously being aware that he will gradually have to earn his way back into Hansi Flick’s Barcelona side:

“I’m happy to be back. I feel stronger each week and like I’m getting back to where I was physically. It’s been a long process, but I’m very excited for Saturday’s game… I know I was out for a long time. I’ve just started to play a little again, and it’s not only up to me but also the coach’s decision. It’s just a matter of playing a lot of football, and then I’ll return to my best level.”

As for what the final starting lineup will be for the clash against Real Madrid, only Hansi Flick will get to have the final say. Until then, all anyone can really do is speculate and trust the Barcelona head coach’s decisions ahead of kick-off and hope they pay off as they did against Bayern Munich.