Coach Carlo Ancelotti acknowledges that the El Clasico match between Real and Barca is always significant, but it’s too early to talk about the La Liga championship.
“This is an important match for both players and fans,” Ancelotti said on October 27 in the press conference before the match. “But the season is long, and it’s too soon to say this will be a decisive game regarding points. The upcoming El Clasico holds significance in different ways. Many other clubs, such as Girona and Atletico, can compete, and everything will be challenging until the last minute.”
Before Matchday 11 in La Liga, Real is leading with 25 points, the same as Girona and one point ahead of Barca. In the Champions League Group C, the royal team has also secured nine points, and they will advance to the next round early if they continue to win against Braga in the next match on November 8. Therefore, Ancelotti believes Real is in good form, motivated, and ready for El Clasico.
According to Transfermarkt, the entire Real squad is valued at $1.09 billion, more than Barca by approximately $177 million. However, Barca is highly regarded for its youth development. After Lamine Yamal (16 years old) and Fermin Lopez (20), 17-year-old forward Marc Guiu is the following talent from La Masia to make a name for himself, scoring the only goal to help Barca defeat Bilbao 1-0 on Matchday 10 in La Liga on October 22. Before this, Pedri (20), Gavi (19), and Alejandro Balde (20) had already established their positions in the first team.
Ancelotti praised Barca as an excellent team, well-organized both in attack and defense. The Italian coach values the talents on the Barca side but also points out that Real has many young star players of excellent quality, such as Arda Guler, Eduardo Camavinga, Jude Bellingham, Aurélien Tchouameni, and Vinicius.
According to the 64-year-old coach, injuries to key players like Robert Lewandowski, Frenkie de Jong, Pedri, Jules Kounde, and Raphinha are the reason Barca is giving opportunities to many young players. However, Ancelotti also emphasized that Real has a quality youth academy, with Alvaro Rodriguez, Mario Martin, Nico Paz, and Gonzalo all close to stepping up to the first team.
The first El Clasico of the season was “heated up” with a message from Miquel Camps, a member of Barca’s board of directors, on social media. “This is not about racial discrimination. Vinicius deserves a slap for being a clown and playing on the field. Doing unnecessary and pointless fancy footwork in the middle of the pitch, what’s the point?” Camps wrote after Real’s 2-1 victory over Braga in the Champions League on October 24. Camps quickly deleted the post, but it caused a significant controversy in Spain.
President Florentino Perez is rumored not to attend today’s match due to the comments made by the Barca board member. When asked about this, Ancelotti replied, “I don’t know what Perez has decided. I know he will make the best decisions for the club’s interests.”
Ancelotti also confirmed that Bellingham, who left the field limping to make way for Lucas Vazquez in the 89th minute of the 2-1 Champions League victory over Braga midweek, has recovered and is ready to play. However, Real is still without Dani Ceballos, Eder Militao, Arda Guler, and Thibaut Courtois due to injuries.
