A must-win El Clasico but Barcelona won’t change their style

Barcelona will not divert from their footballing principles in El Clasico tonight, even though Xavi admits their title defence would be over should Real Madrid win at the Nou Camp.

Barca have chipped away at Madrid’s lead in the last few weeks and the advantage held by Jose Mourinho’s men once stood at 10 points but is now down to four. That good work will count for little, however, should Madrid claim just a second victory over Barca under Mourinho while a draw would arguably also be enough with just four more games after this weekend.

“Our mind is set on El Clasico,” Xavi told Gol TV. “If Barca can emerge victorious then we still have options in the league. But in case of a defeat... We will try to claim the win and move to within a point. We are very excited to have made a comeback from ten points to four.”

The longer Barca are held tonight the more desperate they are likely to become. But Xavi is convinced that will not prompt Pep Guardiola’s side to abandon their passing game.

“We try not to change our philosophy,” he said. “Madrid have played in various ways but we have not changed our style. We want the ball, we want to be in charge of the game and have those long spells of possession which help us control a game. We cannot change now.

“We have done this against all our opponents, including Madrid, and we will try to play more than ever, have the ball more than ever and go on the attack more than ever to win the match.”

One of the sub-plots of tonight’s game is the tactical battle between Guardiola and Mourinho, who was part of Sir Bobby Robson’s coaching staff at Barca in the early 1990s. And while Xavi steered clear of talking about the Portuguese, he remained steadfast in his admiration for Guardiola.

“I have not had Mourinho as coach, he worked as an assistant (under Robson) and so I do not know how he works,” he said. “I can tell you that Guardiola is a fantastic coach. He is a person who captivates with his presence. He has proven himself to be a first-class coach.”

Mourinho skipped yesterday’s press conference and handed media duties to assistant Aitor Karanka. And the former Madrid defender tried to downplay the importance of tonight’s clash.

“I believe the three points at stake are important because there are fewer games left in the competition,” he said. “But whatever the score, four games will remain and we’ll continue to work as naturally as we’ve been doing so far. Win, draw or lose, this team is doing a very good job this year.

“Tomorrow’s match is as important as all the rest that remain. Barcelona are our most immediate opponent and taking points against them is important, but there are five games left in the championship and we will continue fighting to the end.

“The match has every ingredient to be appealing. Two great squads will come face to face and there will be an amazing atmosphere at the stadium. I hope everything unfolds normally and that people are satisfied with these ingredients.”