Real Madrid star admits Barcelona are ‘better now’ ahead of upcoming El Clasico | OneFootball

FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, two of the biggest clubs in world football, are often in direct competition both on the pitch and in the transfer market. Over the years, it has not been uncommon for both sides to chase the same rising stars, and Brazilian forward Rodrygo Goes is one such example.

In a recent interview with AS (h/t SPORT), the Real Madrid attacker revealed that he was on the verge of signing for Barcelona before ultimately fulfilling his dream of joining Los Blancos.

“Before signing for Madrid, everything was already done and agreed with Barça. It’s true. But my father told me that Madrid had called and that I had to choose. For me, it was very easy. I knew what I wanted and what my dream was. I didn’t even hesitate. And here I am,” Rodrygo explained.

He added that while he holds great respect for the Catalan club, Real Madrid was always his true goal.

“Barça came after me, and I’ve always said it’s a great club that I respect a lot. But Madrid was my dream, and my decision was easy to make. I couldn’t wait any longer for Madrid, and when the time came, we did what we had to do.”

Looking ahead, Rodrygo is already focused on the upcoming El Clásico at the end of October. He admitted that Barcelona are currently performing at a higher level but emphasized that Real Madrid will fight back at the Santiago Bernabéu.

“It’s better to forget last season. We know we didn’t live up to expectations, especially in the Clásicos. We didn’t feel comfortable against them. It’s true that the year before it was the opposite — we beat them in all four Clásicos. But we have to admit that now they’re better, they have a stronger team and a lot more confidence.”

There is no doubt that the upcoming El Clásico will be another blockbuster tie. However, keeping in view the results from the last season, the Blaugranes would be the favorites to win this game, as Rodrygo Goes himself recognized.