BARCA GIVEN PEP UP Catalans will try City plan in Clasico
Real Madrid v Barcelona Tonight, 8pm
QUIQUE SETIEN is set to follow Pep Guardiola’s skyblueprint for success in tonight’s El Clasico.
The Barcelona boss was at the Bernabeu on Wednesday to see Guardiola’s Manchester City stun Real Madrid.
City recovered after falling behind to hit two late goals and secure a huge advantage in the first leg of the sides’ Champions League tie.
And Setien admits he picked up clues from the former Barca boss Pep’s approach that will help heap more misery on Zinedine Zidane’s side when he returns to the Spanish capital today.
Setien said: “We get along. Pep has always been very cordial to me. While I was at Lugo, I visited him when he was a Barca coach.
“I like to chat with technicians with whom I identify by their way of watching football or feeling it. Pep has always been a reference for me.
“The other day Napoli coach Gennaro Gattuso said he had spied on me. Well, I can say that I spied on Guardiola.
“There are things that City did that can be useful for us. We can identify them for our game. But there are also things that you see as not profitable.”
Victory would move Barca five points clear of their great rivals at the head of La Liga with 12 games remaining.
Setien insists the pressure is all on Zidane’s side who come into the clash fresh from defeats to Levante and City.
The 61-year-old said: “It could be a very important day, a victory would give us a lead of five points but in these games the past is quickly forgotten about. I expect a very close game, we’ll see who deserves to win it more.”
Madrid boss Zidane admits this a crucial stage of the season for his side and another defeat would leave him in the firing line.
He said: “This is a delicate time for us because we have not won the last three games in our stadium, but we know things like this can happen.
“We will only come out of this situation by staying strong and by not listening to what people say about us.
“We will need our fans on our side from the first to last minute.”
Zidane said recently he was only two bad results away from being under the cosh.
The Frenchman added: “I knew if we lost two games I’d get criticised and that is what is happening. All I can do is keep fighting.”