BALE SET TO BOUNCE BACK
GARETH BALE could figure for Real Madrid in tonight’s El Clasico – despite limping out of the Champions League victory over Bayern in midweek. The Welshman (left) is expected to go straight back into the Real starting line-up, with boss Zinedine Zidane confirming he will be in the squad. Zidane said: “Gareth will be with us and we’ll have to wait and see whether or not he plays. Whatever happens, this is not a decisive clash.
“We’ve got seven finals still to play. We’ll take it game by game. Every one is crucial.
“There are people who think we’re over-confident but that’s not the case. We’re fully focused and not looking any further ahead.”
Meanwhile, Barca midfielder Ivan Rakitic hopes Luis Enrique’s men can bounce back from the disappointment of their Champions League exit against Juventus and maintain the pressure on Real in the race for the La Liga title.
A win for Barca will put them level on points with their greatest rivals, although Madrid have a game in hand.
Rakitic said: “We want to win this game. We need to and we are going into it with a lot of confidence.
“Nobody is hungrier for victories than us. Knowing the club and all its triumphs, we are very much up for more winning. With all due respect to Real Madrid, the most important thing is not how they are doing but rather how we are doing.
“If we play at our level and we manage to control the game, I think we have a good chance to win this match.”
Barca won last season’s contest at the Bernabeu 4-0 and the Croatian is taking heart, adding: “I have great memories of that win.
“Not just because we won, but also how we did it because we were very much superior.”