Barca are slight favourites!
Gaizka Mendieta was known as a dribbling wizard and his outrageous skills prompted FC Barcelona to loan him from Valencia after he was twice named UEFA Best Midfielder of the Year. Mendieta played in two El Clasicos during his time at the Camp Nou, and he shared his experience with Soccer Laduma. Now working as an ambassador for LaLiga, he told us why El Clasico is the biggest game in domestic club football before giving his predictions for this week’s clashes.
Soccer Laduma: Gaizka, thanks for taking your time to chat to us. What comes to mind when you think of El Clasico?
Gaizka Mendieta: I think El Clasico always brings something special to the table. I don’t think the nine points difference between the two sides is making the game bigger. In terms of confidence and morale, the gap might have an impact, because if Barca win El Clasico, Real will focus more on the UEFA Champions League. If Real win El Clasico, it would be a big morale boost and they’ll think it might be possible to catch Barcelona in LaLiga. But it is unpredictable. We saw how Real Madrid came up with a great run of results and performances, but then they lost at home to Girona. El Clasico is unpredictable, but the one thing we can predict is that it never lets anyone down, in terms of football, skills and tactical battles. I’m definitely looking forward to it and am keen to see what it will bring, whether it will open the title race again or open the gap between the two giants.
SL: In your experience, how did it feel to run out in a packed stadium in arguably the biggest game in club football?
GM: I would lie if I said it was like any other game, because the atmosphere is unbelievable, whether at Camp Nou or Santiago Bernabeu, but also in terms of the build-up. Weeks before the match, you’re talking about El Clasico, while trying to focus on what is next, the next opponent, and not El Clasico. You try to avoid the tension and focus on the next match, but for any player, El Clasico is the game you dream of playing in, to be involved in. To play against the best players in the world, in such an amazing atmosphere, in such an amazing and historical stadium. Obviously, there are World Cup and Champions League finals, but no other game in the world can give you what El Clasico gives you. Fans supporting, thousands of media, rivalry, history… You are there to play against the bestplayers in the world and you are there to beat them, because you want to be better than them! It ticks all the boxes each football-crazy child dreams of.
SL: What’s your prediction for the clashes?
GM: Again, it’s unpredictable. I think Barca are slight favourites for me, in terms of their recent results and performances. Real Madrid have been a bit more unstable in the way they are getting results and in the way they have been performing, depending more on individual moments than the team. Barca as a team have been more consistent throughout the season and I think that gives them a bit of an advantage. If you ask me for a result for the LaLiga Clasico, I would say 2-1 to Barca. There is always going to be goals I think, because both defences are not the best, and because of how both attacking sides have been performing recently, so I expect goals!