Barca’s Enrique: El Clasico not a title decider
Print Edition
BARCELONA boss Luis Enrique has insisted that his side’s crucial top of the table clash with Real Madrid today will not be the sole determining factor in the La Liga title race.
The Catalans lead Real by a point and are favorites to extend that advantage on home soil after a run of 17 wins in 18 games in all competitions.
However, with Barcelona still set to face the likes of Spanish champion Atletico Madrid, Valencia and Sevilla in the final 10 games of the season, Enrique believes there will be more twists and turns to come after this weekend.
“Independent of the result I don’t think it will be decisive,” Enrique said yesterday “There are still 10 games to go and there are too many difficult games for both teams, so it is not decisive but important.”
By contrast, Real has lost five of its 16 games in 2015, in the process relinquishing pole position in the title race.
However, Enrique believes the array of talent on show for both sides means there can be no clear favorite on the night. “Generally, we have to think that in this type of game there aren’t favorites.
“There is a lot at stake and the two teams have players that are out of this world. Playing at home is important, though, because it can help in terms of motivation and intensity.”
Barcelona could also be boosted by the presence of Sergio Busquets, who has made a quicker recovery than expected from a sprained ankle. The Spanish international trained with his teammates yesterday, but Enrique refused to confirm whether he will start having been sidelined since suffering the injury against Villarreal on March 4.
On Friday, Valencia moved to within five points of Barcelona with a 4-0 rout of Elche. Andre Gomes pounced after Przemyslaw Tyton could only parry Sofiane Feghouli’s driven cross a minute before half-time to put the visitors in front.
Paco Alcacer then responded to the disappointment of being left out of Vicente del Bosque’s Spain squad earlier in the day with a poacher’s finish from Gomes’s cross for his seventh goal of the season to put the result beyond doubt after the break.
An Enzo Roco own goal and Nicolas Otamendi’s stoppage-time header rounded off the scoring as Los Che moved four points clear of fourth-placed Atletico Madrid.
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