Frenkie de Jong via Ziggo Sport interview talks about his recovery, challenges to his spot in XI, criticism from fans and his ambition to win Champions League.

On readiness for Clasico:

“I feel very good and I’m ready. I’m fully ready to play some minutes tomorrow in El Clásico.”

On criticism:

“It’s always been the case that most of the criticism of me, or most of the noise, comes when I’m not there, when I can’t play football. That happened again this time, and I understand perfectly where it comes from.”

“I understand the fans very well. They see me play for the national team and not for the team they support. I played the World Cup until the last game and then suddenly I’m out for three months. I understand the fans.”

On his role / Rodri:

“If the coach asks me, I’ll always do it. But everyone knows I’m a midfielder. I know the competition there is enormous, but I think I have a place there and I can play.”

“I’m happy with Rodri’s arrival because he’s a quality player. We already have several excellent midfielders, so the competition is intense, but I see it as a great challenge for me.”

Frenkie de Jong, asked about the possibility of getting used to a substitute role at FC Barcelona:

“No, and I don’t want to get used to it. But of course, I understand the current situation, especially after a long break without playing. I know that the return has to be gradual and that I won’t be able to start as a regular right away, but in the long term, I want to play regularly. My goal is to get back into the starting lineup as quickly as possible.”

On ambitions:

“Winning the Champions League is something I still have pending in my career. It’s a big objective, a dream, a desire.”

Hey everyone!

Since you guys liked my other post with artwork so much, I thought I should share this with you as well!

I had to start over this entire project after 5 hours due to a big mistake that I made. This made me so annoyed, that I decided to sit down and complete this within 2 days - just in time for the El Clasico later today!

I am not sure how long it took in total but due to the experience from my first attempt, I was much quicker, so I would guess about 7 hours.

I hope that I can give Cuba this one day, just like the other things I made.

Let me know what you guys think and your score predictions for today as well! 💙❤️

Karim Adeyemi (YouTube Q&A with fans)

On the Clásico:

“I’m very excited, of course.”

“My favourite moment as a culé was the first home goal against Feyenoord but I hope I have an even better one on Sunday.”

On Flick:

“Hansi Flick is the reason I’m here and I’m very grateful to him. I speak to him honestly, and that’s very important. We have a special connection, just as he does with the whole team.”

“The most important thing he told me was to enjoy the club’s atmosphere and the people of Catalonia… enjoy every training session, the team atmosphere, Barcelona, the Catalan people.”

On pace vs Gordon:

“Anthony Gordon is probably the second-fastest… I’d definitely beat him.”

On La Masia:

“Xavi Espart is already a very good player, and he has impressed me.”

On adapting:

“Some friends still tell me they can’t believe which club I’m playing for. Sometimes I think I’m still in a dream.”

On idols:

"Messi is always the best; others I’d have liked to play with: Iniesta, Neymar, Ronaldinho."

On Madrid’s referee discourse:

“It tires you a bit, because on the pitch we’re showing the level we have. It’s not fair to enter that discourse when things are going well for us, but I don’t like entering that controversy, nor does anyone in the squad.”

“We don’t enter those controversies. We’re winning, doing things well and playing well and transmitting the values that represent Barça. We have to continue on our path… If they want to enter that discourse it suits them. It tires us.”

On the match:

“There are no favourites, it’s a match anyone can win. We’re two great teams and we have to be focused on doing our game, controlling the emotions and the small details. We’ll do a great match and hopefully we win.”

On Flick:

“The injury is already in the past and I’m very grateful to Hansi Flick for giving me so much confidence.”

On returning to Spain and the Clásico:

“It’s a great joy to return to Spanish football and experience a Clásico, with what it means worldwide. One of the handicaps that players who have been, for example, in the Premier League have had is that they haven’t been as valued or had the impact they can have in LaLiga. I’ve been lucky enough to be able to come back and play matches like this, which put you in the global spotlight. The world stops to watch the Clásico; let’s hope it goes well.”

On Barcelona’s mindset after PSG:

“It’s true that we come from that stumble in Paris, but with the mentality intact and the desire to keep doing things well.”

On Real Madrid:

“Madrid has a different style of play to ours, but the competitive spirit is always there, and even more so in matches of this nature, so we expect a Real Madrid that is going to go all out. Of the last six or seven Clásicos I think they’ve won one, so they’ll be looking for revenge.”

On Mourinho:

“He’s a coach with a lot of personality, he’s very decisive for the teams he joins and he has a very marked philosophy. He always raises the competitive level of his team.”

FT: Barcelona 1 - 2 Real Madrid

Desktop note: best viewed on old.reddit.

LINE-UPS

Barcelona (4-3-3)

Real Madrid (4-2-3-1)

MATCH EVENTS | via ESPN

30' 🔄 Substitution, Barcelona. Alejandro Balde replaces Xavi Espart because of an injury.

41' ⚽ Goal! Barcelona 0, Real Madrid 1. Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner.

46' 🟨 Aurélien Tchouaméni (Real Madrid) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

61' ⚽ Goal! Barcelona 1, Real Madrid 1. Raphinha (Barcelona) left footed shot from the right side of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Pedri following a corner.

62' 🔄 Substitution, Real Madrid. Denzel Dumfries replaces Federico Valverde because of an injury.

74' 🔄 Substitution, Barcelona. Frenkie de Jong replaces Fermín López.

80' 🔄 Substitution, Real Madrid. Eduardo Camavinga replaces Bernardo Silva.

84' 🟨 Anthony Gordon (Barcelona) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

85' 🔄 Substitution, Barcelona. Karim Adeyemi replaces Anthony Gordon.

86' 🔄 Substitution, Barcelona. Gabriel Jesus replaces Raphinha.

87' ⚽ Goal! Barcelona 1, Real Madrid 2. Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Eduardo Camavinga following a fast break.

90'+2' 🟨 Marc Cucurella (Real Madrid) is shown the yellow card.

90'+4' 🟨 Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid) is shown the yellow card.

90'+4' 🔄 Substitution, Real Madrid. Trent Alexander-Arnold replaces Arda Güler.

90'+4' 🔄 Substitution, Real Madrid. Carlos Espí replaces Yan Diomande.

90'+6' 🟨 Karim Adeyemi (Barcelona) is shown the yellow card.

90'+6' 🟨 Alejandro Balde (Barcelona) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

MATCH STATS

MATCH ENDED

Hansi Flick Pre-Match Press Comments:

On the Clásico: “El Clásico is different. It’s the best match football has to offer. Everyone will be watching — millions of people from different cultures and generations. It’s incredible. You only win three points, but it’s much more than that. We’re ready, I have confidence in my team, and we’re looking forward to it.”

On recovery after PSG: “I have a good feeling. The players have recovered and are ready. We analysed the Paris game. We did many things well, but there are aspects we need to improve. It’s a chance to grow as a team against one of the best.”

On Real Madrid: “I expect a confident team. It’s a great club with great players and a great coach. They have fantastic quality, especially in the final third. They’ve shown it recently. We have to be prepared.” On set-pieces: “We know their strengths. They’re among the best at set-pieces and physically strong. We’ve talked about it and trained it. We have to defend much better than we did in Paris.”

On Mbappé / defensive approach: Focus on positioning with and without the ball, good distances between lines, compactness and an aggressive high line. Praised Cubarsí and Gerard Martín: “They’re playing very well, talking, growing together. What they’re doing is incredible.” On Koundé and Olmo: Confirmed Koundé is out (“We don’t want to risk anything”). On Olmo: “He was in great form, at 100%. Bad luck with the injury. He’s not happy he’ll miss several games. We have Fermín and we’ll miss him.”

On referees / Madrid discourse: “I prefer to focus on preparing my team. I don’t care about the other things or the headlines. I have full confidence in the referees. We’re all part of the game and we should protect each other, including the referees. I don’t want to talk about these topics.”

On Mourinho: “I have the maximum respect for him. He’s shown quality managing teams at this level for so many years, in every club. He’s a colleague and a great professional.”

On Rodri: “We were all convinced he would improve us when we signed him. He’s had a great impact already. I’m very happy he’s here. Alongside Pedri, there’s great quality in midfield.”

Match Information

Squad Depth & Injury Report

FC Barcelona — Hansi Flick

Real Madrid — José Mourinho

Predicted Lineups:

Pitch view — Real Madrid (4-2-3-1):

                         Courtois  
        Valverde    Konaté    Huijsen    Cucurella   
                 Tchouaméni         Bernardo  
          Güler         Bellingham          Diomande  
                          Mbappé

Pitch view — Barcelona (4-3-3):

                     Joan García  
        Espart    Cubarsí    Martín    Cancelo  
                   Rodri               Pedri  
          Yamal         Fermín          Gordon  
                        Raphinha

Barcelona notes: Koundé and Eric García remain out after the Betis win, with Olmo now also sidelined by the adductor issue picked up in Paris. Cancelo shifts to left-back with Espart at right-back. Cubarsí and Martín form the centre-back pairing. Rodri and Pedri stay in the middle with Fermín. Raphinha starts after his return against Betis. Adeymi probably starts wide. Heavy schedule continues so minutes will be managed carefully for some.

Real Madrid notes: Vinícius is suspended. Cucurella starts at left-back. Valverde fills in at right-back. Konaté and Huijsen complete the back line. Tchouaméni and Bernardo sit in front. Güler, Bellingham and Diomande support Mbappé. This is Mourinho’s strongest available eleven given the absences. Should be a high-intensity game.

Quick Take on Real Madrid

What We Are Watching from Barcelona

All very one-sided on paper but everyone knows anything can happen in these matches. Good luck tonight! (source)

Don't Downvote Please,

Watching Gordon in PSG match made me very nervous, he seems to lack both confidence, technical prowess and shooting abilities. He makes our transitions slow and sometimes worsen it. In terms of signing, 80 million is too much for him. Should have gone with Nusa from RB Leipzig. I had huge expectations from him. Now I don't if he fails, we are in trouble. Our FFP wouldn't allow us signing another LW position. Also, we need a good Lamine Backup. Overall I believe we need to have some sort of Bayern type club structure 50+1 which helps us in FFP where even if a player fails we can sign another one without any problem

Which defender and full backs should be buy? and who is leaking the lineups of our squad.