Nou faces clear up after Messi

BARCELONA legend Albert Ferrer believes the club are managing to move forward as they prepare for their first El Clasico without Lionel Messi.

The Catalan giants take on their old enemy Real Madrid at the Nou Camp today – and much of the talk in the build-up has been around how they will cope without the services of the six-time Ballon d’or winner (right).

But former Chelsea and Spain rightback Ferrer said: “Barcelona are such a big club.

“They can move on, even from a player with such an impact as Messi.

“Maybe in the first few months, the supporters were thinking, ‘I’m missing Messi’ but they’re very objective and practical.

“We won’t forget what he did, but we need to focus on what we have.”

Barca have had a stuttering start to their La Liga campaign, and sit outside the top six, with Madrid a few places above.

And Ferrer thinks the derby will see two teams very much in transition.

He added: “Ronald Koeman is doing a good job at Barcelona.

“They’re still looking for the perfect system and the perfect fit, but that’s normal given the circumstances.

“With Madrid, the only difference between now and the past is they don’t have that star like Cristiano Ronaldo.

“They’re also in transition with some key players getting older and are another team turning to young talent.

“I would predict a win for Barcelona.

“Offensively, they are still a threat for every team, and defensively I’ve seen signs of improvement, such as against Valencia, where they coped well with a dangerous counter-attack.

“If they do the same against Real Madrid they will have a big chance to win.”

■ Watch El Clasico on Laligatv this Sunday. Coverage begins from 1pm with Gary Lineker hosting LIVE from the Camp Nou alongside Aitor Karanka and Albert Ferrer. Sign up to Laligatv with Premier Sports on Sky 435 / Virgin 554 or via streaming with Premier Player and Amazon Prime Video Channels.