Sportsupdated 1h ago2 min read
Archive photo · 10 February 2022Barcelona Targets 10th Straight Win As Jose Mourinho Warns Real Madrid’s Form Won’t Matter
“Once again, the Negreira case is likely to feature prominently”
“Mourinho's men will be looking to secure their fifth consecutive victory.”
Photo: Boaventuravinicius, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Cropped for layout
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Barcelona target a 10th straight La Liga win to start the season, a historic record. Mourinho returns to manage Real Madrid at Camp Nou, deeming Madrid's form irrelevant.
Record Bid at Camp Nou
Barcelona entered Sunday’s El Clasico at Camp Nou on the back of a 4-2 Champions League defeat by Paris St-Germain, with the club targeting a 10th consecutive victory to start the La Liga season. Jose Mourinho said Real’s recent form, including “two 4-1 victories against Sevilla and RB Leipzig,” would count for little in a fixture he called “the only Clasico, the world stops.” Real Madrid had the chance to end Barcelona’s run on Sunday when the sides met at Camp Nou, with the match listed at 20:00 GMT.
Hansi Flick told reporters that “The players have recovered and they're ready for this game,” while he warned Barcelona must address defensive weaknesses exposed by PSG in midweek. Flick also said Vinicius Jr would be missing for the visitors through suspension, as Barcelona’s attack arrived having scored 50 goals in their 12 games while conceding 15.
Battles and Mourinho’s Plan
Mourinho framed the Clasico as different from other matches, insisting, “What we have done before has no influence,” as Real tried to capitalise on Barcelona’s setback. The preview highlighted a set of matchups, including Pau Cubarsi facing Kylian Mbappé again after Spain’s 2-0 victory over France in the World Cup semi-final. The preview also pointed to Rodri and Jude Bellingham as a key midfield clash, with the matchup set against Barcelona’s possession style.
Marc Cucurella was tasked with stopping Lamine Yamal on Barcelona’s right wing, and the preview described Yamal as the first player in Europe’s major leagues to achieve both 10 goals and 10 assists this season. The preview added that Madrid’s approach could hinge on disrupting Barcelona’s possession and exploiting spaces behind when Barcelona commit players forward.
Global Stage and Stakes
Barcelona’s record chase carried league-wide stakes, with the club seeking to surpass the mark set by Real Madrid in 1968-69 by reaching a 10th consecutive win to start the season. The preview also tied the match to individual showdowns, with the BBC listing six of this year’s 30 Ballon d’Or nominees available for the Clasico. The BBC said Striker Mbappe had been prolific for Real, scoring 12 goals in 12 appearances this season, while it also flagged Rodri and Bellingham as central to the midfield battle.
The Independent described the rivalry’s tension as building ahead of the weekend’s Clasico at Camp Nou, pointing to Real Madrid’s “Comunicado Oficial” and the dispute involving LaLiga president Javier Tebas. Real Madrid’s pressure in the Independent’s account centered on a demand for a “full clarification” over payments of €7.3m (£6.5m) from Barcelona to Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira between 2001 and 2018, as Barcelona and Negreira denied wrongdoing and said they were cleared by Uefa investigators in 2023.