Al -Malab newspaper – Barcelona coach, Hanzi Felk, confirmed that his players have exceeded the last exit of the Champions League against Inter Milan, and he explained that he urged them to win over Real Madrid today, in order to take an important step in the Spanish League, which he considered “the most honorable championship.”
“In the Spanish League, you have to play 38 games, and if you reach the end while you are in the forefront, this is the most honorable title,” the German coach said during a press conference in Joan Jamir Sports on the eve of the El Clásico.
Felk admitted that the defeat in the second leg of the Champions League semi-finals (4-3) was “not easy,” noting that it was a conversation between the team players in the dressing rooms about what happened in San Siro.
He added: “We have four rounds (in La Liga). The El Clásico is the perfect moment to show our gameplay. The players are in excellent condition.”
Although the defeat against Real Madrid will not be decisive, as Barcelona will remain in the lead by a point of three rounds before the end, Felk confirmed that the players “will do their best to win the three points.”
He explained: “The team’s position does not concern me in the table, because we want to win, this is our mentality. Our focus is only on this match.”
He also stressed the importance of the players to be “at their highest level”, explaining, “We must be active, strong, and impose our control, because Real Madrid is a great team. We are playing on our land and among our fans who supported us a lot.”
Felk praised the energy and confidence that his players enjoyed before the El Clásico, and praised the “wonderful work” they did during the past five months of the competition, saying: “We want to continue the same approach.”
The Catalan team reinforces its ranks with the return of Alejandro Baldi and Mark Cassado after obtaining the medical permit, and the Polish striker Robert Lewandowski will be ready after participating for 30 minutes against Inter Milan. The coach explained that both Baldi and Levandowski will not start the match, but they may participate in the second half.
Regarding his tactical philosophy based on an advanced defense line, Felk acknowledged that this method raised some doubts at the beginning of the season, and said: “It is important to pressure where the ball is. We must know who starts pressure and who follows him to restore the ball.
Indeed, in some matches, especially at first, some doubts appeared, but the team adapted well, and the players evolved and became comfortable with the gameplay. “
Among the main pillars of the defensive Felk system, defender Eino Martinez, who praised the coach and described him as “offering the best season in his career.”
As for the goalkeeper Vojsik Cheesney, Felk praised his “positive and quiet” personality, adding with a smile: “Sometimes he smokes a little, but he is so, this is his nature.”
On the other side, the Italian Carlo Ancelotti, Real Madrid coach, expressed his confidence in achieving his first victory in the El Clásico this season, in the fourth attempt, as there is no alternative to winning to keep the struggle for the league title burning, while he stressed, “If the players listen to me, things will go well.”
Despite the heavy defeats in the first leg of the La Liga and the final of the Spanish Super Cup, Ancelotti indicated that his team’s performance improved in the King’s Cup final, despite the loss.
“The team is in good condition, and it focuses on what we should do. We are excited about a very important match in which we play a lot. We have confidence that we are able to win. It will be a difficult match, our last confrontations against Barcelona were complicated, but the last match was less difficult and this gives us confidence.”
Ancelotti has identified several technical keys to achieve victory, starting with “good defense” in front of the “Know how to press you in your area”, and take advantage of its weaknesses when you own the ball, because “there is no ideal team.”
“We have to be attentive to how Barcelona’s attack, how to defend, and how to take advantage of the very advanced defense line. It is also necessary to be careful not to infiltrate. I talked to the players about these matters, and if they listen to me, everything will happen as we want.” Despite his recognition of the quality of the Barcelona season so far, Ancelotti stressed the importance of the team’s reaction after the European exclusion, saying: “It is a match that plays on small details, and the defense and attack must be well.”
In response to what was raised about his future with the team, Ancelotti stressed that this will not affect the preparations, despite the daily talk about the possibility of his training for Brazil or the succession of Xabi Alonso.
As for the squad, Ancelotti did not reveal whether he would pay Brodrigo or Arada Goller, but he confirmed the readiness of the Brazilian star after recovering from fever, and said, “Rodrigo has returned and trained well throughout the week, and he is available. We do not have many options because of the absences, but everyone in the list is in good condition. “The victory means that we are close to the title, and this shows the size of the importance of this match. Both teams play a lot. If they win, their chances are greater, but if we win, everything will remain possible in the last three rounds,” Ancelotti added.
And without revealing his future yet, and with his recognition that Xabi Alonso, after announcing the departure from Bayer Leverkusen, “the doors of Real Madrid are open to him”, Ancelotti acknowledged that “the honeymoon with Real Madrid will continue until the last day” in his life, whatever happens.
“I read that Xabi will leave Bayer Leverkusen. He did a great job and deserved all the opportunities, because he has proven that he is among the best coaches in the world,” Ancelotti said of Alonso, who was one of his players and his successor was on Real Madrid’s training seat.
Despite his focus on El Clásico against Barcelona, the farewell tone overwhelmed the press conference, as Carlito expressed his eternal love for Real Madrid, without issuing any statement regarding the possibility of training for the Brazilian national team in the future.
He added: “The honeymoon with this club does not end, but it will continue and will continue forever.
Ancelotti refused to consider himself the coach who represents the image of Real Madrid in the best way, and said: “I do not know that.
The Luis Companis Olympic Stadium will be a theater for a match that is closest to the final, as it separates the leaders Barcelona and its supplies Real Madrid four points, while the latter lost all the Clasico confrontations this season: 0-4 in the first round of the league, 2-5 in the Spanish Super Cup final, and 3-2 in the King’s Cup final.
Looking at the previous results and the last period-as Barcelona did not lose any match in the Spanish League during the year 2025-it seems that the Flick team is on its way to achieve its fourth victory over the riyal this season, but the painful exit from the Champions League semi-finals at the hands of Inter Milan (7-6 in the total of the two games) that gives a kind of ambiguity to the position of the leader.
Doubts of the young team are to overcome the shock of exclusion, after it was just two minutes away from the Munich final. Despite his heart’s heart after the 2-0 delay in the first half, with the goal of Ravenia in the 87th minute, Inter equaled the score with a goal in the 93rd minute, before he scored Farbsi the goal in the 99th minute.
A shock that the players are trying to overcome quickly, as they consider the Clasico match an opportunity to forget what happened in the European Championship.
The Felk team is playing the meeting, which is physically exhausted, after playing 9 games in the last 30 days, two of which extended to the additional runs, against Inter Milan and Real Madrid in the Cup final. Nevertheless, major changes in the formation are not expected, and Eric Garcia and Gerard Martin will start as two backs after their brilliance in San Siro.
Both the back of Alejandro will be Baldi and midfielder Mark Cassado are available after recovering from the injury, but they will start from the bench. While the top scorer, Robert Lewandowski, who played half an hour on Tuesday after a three -week absence, is essential.
Real Madrid enter the El Clásico, who is forced to achieve its first victory this season over its eternal rivals, in order to preserve its chances of achieving a great title this year, as the “Montaguic” match appears decisive in its fate.
The El Clásico usually defines the features of the season, and it may be negative this year for Anselotti, who is fighting El Clásico, knowing that he may be his last appearance in this historical confrontation. A few days separate from the official announcement of the end of the Italian coach, the legend of Real Madrid and 15 titles in his treasures. Farewell to the most culminated coach in the history of the royal club, to open the way for his successor, Xabi Alonso, who has already announced his departure from Bayer Leverkusen.
Although the Italian coach Ancelotti’s players are reaching more physical comfort, the team suffers from a severe injury crisis in the back line, where Danny Carvajal and Virland Mindy are absent, as well as the primary defensive trio: Milito, Rudiger and Alba. The multi -task midfielder Eduardo Kamavinga, who was injured in the cup final.
Amid these absences, Ancelotti is forced to rely on Valverde in the midfield, while Chawini retracts the center of the defense. Lucas Vasquez and Fran Garcia will take over the two backs, while the young Raul Asensio completes the emergency defense line.
This tactical reality will push the Italian coach to install the 4-4-2 plan that he adopted recently, by giving the opportunity to the rising Turkish star Arda Goller, and dispensing with Rodrigo, who has been absent from scoring for 12 games, who scored one goal in the last 22 games.
Real Madrid’s hopes for the title are related to the performance of the two stars Vinicius Junior and Killian Mbappe, by exploiting their speed in rapid transformations. It is an opportunity for the duo to compensate, as Vinicius is going through a fluctuating period that kept him away from his previous level to compete for the Golden Ball, while Mbappe has not achieved the expected influence in the El Clasico matches since his joining.
In addition, the El Clásico match may decide the Spanish League title, especially since history stands in the interest of Barcelona.
Real Madrid is looking to be the first to achieve this, so it will have to beat Barcelona and reduce the difference in the points with its eternal rival to a point and approach the celebration of the La Liga title.
La Liga did not witness before a team managed to crown the title after he reduced the difference of four points with the leader in the last four rounds. In three cases the tournament witnessed the reducing of three points, four weeks ago, at the end of it, although in all of them the victory was given its owner only two points.
The first case dates back to the 1946-1977 season when Valencia crowned the title, after Athletic Bilbao topped the tournament with 29 points three rounds at the end of it while the “Battle” team had 26 points in fourth place. Bilbao ended the championship with 34 points after the end of his last four games with two defeats and two defeats, while Valencia raised his score to the same number of points after winning his last four matches.
In a tie in the points, the title went to Valencia thanks to his victory in the narrowest margin (1-0 and 0-1), in the two direct matches with Bilbao.
In the season 1981-1982, Real Sociedad was able to reduce the difference of the three points against Barcelona, after the Catalan team was leading the tournament with 43 points and the Basque team came second with 40 points.
Barcelona was not able to win its last four matches, as it lost two encounters and drew in two to end the tournament with 45 points.
On the other hand, Sociedad achieved three wins and tied once to end the championship with 47 points and crowned the title.
In the 1993-1994 season, it was Deportivo La Corunia who wasted three points (51 points against 48) against Barcelona.
The Catalan team won its last four games. On the other hand, Deportivo tied in three games and won one victory.
And with a tie in the points with 56, Barcelona, who was then coached by Johan Cruyff, was crowned the title by direct confrontation, after losing 0-1 in Riazor, the stronghold of Deportivo in the first half of the season, then winning 0-3 at Camp Nou in the second half.
The expected formation
Barcelona: Chesney; Eric Garcia, Kubersi, Enyigo Martinez, Gerard Martin; De Jong, Bidri; Lamine Jamal, Danny Olmo, Ravenia; And Jiran Torres.
Real Madrid: Courtois; Lucas Vasquez, Chaamini, Asensio, Fran Garcia; Valverde, Sebayos, Arda Goller, Beilthamam; Vinicius and Mbabi.
