Because of THE CLASSICMahou has joined forces with two LALIGA Legends as Julio Baptista and Carles Puyol to prepare before the match and celebrate the fans’ feeling of belonging to football.
The former Spanish international center back says that the Clásico could already mark Barça’s season, without any of the four titles, although for him “the important thing is to fight” because “you can’t always win.” Likewise, Puyol has referred to one of the great controversies in Barcelona fans this week, after Ilkay Gündogan will criticize a defensive action by Ronald Araujo against Paris Saint-Germain in the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinals (1-4) that cost the culés the elimination,
“Everyone is free to say what they believe. I am supporter of the things that have to be talked about, are talked about inside the locker room. I also think that Gündogan gives an opinion without bad intentions. Defending is not easy, it is a very fast action, he commits a foul, I am sure that the one who did not want to be fouled is Araujo, these are things that happen,” Puyol assessed.
“In those types of plays, you have to be clear that you will get to the ball. If not, give our goalkeeper the opportunity. So many minutes with ten, it kills you,” Gundogan said about Araujo. Now Puyi assures that “many times It has more impact from the press than from within the locker room.“We know perfectly well how all this works, we have to try not to say too many things outside, because then they can be interpreted in many ways, but I am convinced that he had no bad intentions,” he added.
“The Manchester thing is going to give Madrid air”
For his part, Julio Baptista says that Madrid reaches this Classic with very high morale after eliminating Manchester City on Wednesday at the Etihad Stadium in the penalty shootout, with a great Andriy Lunin, which makes Ancelotti’s team “stronger” and will “give them air” to “try to win” the League and the Champions League.
“Winning always makes the team stronger and even more so because of how the match went. A tough match, which Madrid managed to resist and I believe that being in the Champions League semi-finals for Madrid, especially being as it is in the league, gives it a lot of air to try to win both competitions,” said the Brazilian at the ELCLÁSICO event in Mahou
Baptista highlighted the “DNA” of Real Madrid in ties like those of City. “In the most difficult moments the players manage to bring out the best in each other. It was a very difficult match, City put them on the ropes. Even so, in football you have to do everything well to win,” defended the former footballer. “He is the greatest champion of the Champions League. All the teams, They are not afraid, but they do respect Real Madrid, for what they can do within the Champions League. They know that they are a very dangerous team and at any time they can take the games because of that DNA they have,” he added about the favoritism of the whites from now on in the competition.
And also for the Clásico against FC Barcelona, to which Real Madrid arrives “very well”, with eight points ahead. “It is a match in which Barça has to win to do something for the League, they have much more pressure. The two teams are in two totally different points,” he analyzed. “Madrid with the pass to the Champions League semi-finals, the energy and everything that entails… The players are mentally fresher and Barça, whether they want to or not, Emotionally, you notice it when you come out of a competition and are eight points away in the League.“he added.
