Xavi Undeterred By Points Gap

Posted on 12/7/2011

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Barcelona midfielder and perennial world’s top footballer nominee Xavi is prepared to face an aggressive Real Madrid at the Bernabeu for El Clasico on Saturday (live on GOL TV Canada at 3:55 p.m. ET).

"We will tighten up and play a very physical game," Xavi said on Wednesday, perhaps remembering the crunching tackles administered by Jose Mourinho’s Madrid side when the teams met in the Spanish Supercup back in mid-August. Barcelona edged Real Madrid 5-4 over two legs to win that trophy for the third consecutive year.

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However, Barcelona enters this match looking up in La Liga standings, a rarity this late in the season. Real Madrid holds a three point edge in the league table with a game in hand.

Such is the importance of a Real Madrid-Barcelona encounter that it invites opinion from all over the football map. Ajax coach and former Barca defender Frank de Boer weighed in on El Clasico saying, "if Real win they have a huge advantage."

Indeed, a Madrid win would increase the gap to six points and potentially nine when Mourinho’s men execute the game in hand. Though any talk of the race being over if Madrid beats Barcelona was shrugged off by Xavi.
"The advantage means they are in a better position than us," the Ballon d’Or nominated playmaker said, "but in El Clasico it is not about the ranking. Anything can happen."