The Catalans have won eight of the last 11 titles and are out to prove they reign supreme once again when they visit the Spanish capital on Sunday
Barcelona live in constant chaos but between crisis to crisis, the silverware has continued to flow.
The Catalans have won four Champions League trophies in the last 15 years and eight of last 11 league titles. If they go to the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday and beat Real Madrid, they will be five points clear at the top of the table with 12 matches remaining. While not a completely decisive lead, it would be a big step towards a third consecutive title.
“We are trying to do our jobs and the important thing at this club has been the results,” defender Gerard Pique told reporters this week. “In the last few years results have sustained the club. We know the responsibility we have, we know that the water is not calm if there aren’t good results.”
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The defender was trying to calm the most recent storm brewing at the club, starting with Ernesto Valverde’s sacking in January and continuing to develop with Lionel Messi engaged in a war of words with sporting director Eric Abidal. Just when it seemed like that was over and done with, the board was hit with accusations that they paid a company to publish social media posts lashing out at their critics, including Messi and Pique, while they also took Martin Braithwaite from Leganes on an ‘emergency’ basis after Ousmane Dembele’s injury.
Abidal has since come under fire again, with Sergio Busquets and Ivan Rakitic sniping at his squad planning after the 1-1 draw at Napoli in the Champions League on Tuesday. “We’ll take [the second leg] on with what we are. We’re a small squad – unfortunately the planning was like this,” complained Busquets, who is suspended for the second leg of the last-16 clash with the Italians at Camp Nou in March.
Along with Busquets, Arturo Vidal is also banned, while Luis Suarez, Sergi Roberto and Jordi Alba’s injuries compound that of Dembele. The latter four are out for the Clasico, while Pique is a doubt after hurting his ankle in Naples.
“[The lack of depth] was already known by those responsible,” Rakitic also griped. Carles Alena forced through a loan move to Real Betis in January, while Barcelona decided to sell Jean-Clair Todibo, Carles Perez, Moussa Wague and Abel Ruiz despite the squad being thin, while floundering in the transfer market as they tried to sign Valencia’s Rodrigo Moreno.
Barcelona’s bench against Napoli was embarrassing for a club with by far the highest wage bill in the world. Ronald Araujo and Sergio Akieme were included with more established youngsters Ansu Fati and Riqui Puig. It will look similar for the Clasico. The Catalans pride themselves on their academy products but these players were there out of necessity rather than process.
“What is new about this Clasico is that it is like a race between two cripples,” said former Madrid coach Jorge Valdano crudely, not pulling any punches. “The two teams are doing very badly at the moment.”
Barcelona may still be limping under Quique Setien but they are moving forwards slowly. Given recent form away from home in Europe the draw with Napoli was a decent result, despite the poor performance. Antoine Griezmann’s goal continued his own personal run of important contributions, even if he hasn’t flown yet with Barcelona since his controversial move from Atletico Madrid in the summer.
He now has 14 goals, the same as Luis Suarez, and vitally 10 of those have been Barcelona’s first goal in each game. Against Napoli, he touched the ball just six times in the first half but his second-half strike was crucial. Barcelona won’t mind if he pulls off the same trick against Madrid.
They last lost at the Bernabeu back in 2014, on Luis Suarez’s debut, and have triumphed 4-0, 3-0 and 3-0 there since, among other victories. Setien watched Madrid’s capitulation against Manchester City live on Wednesday with assistant Eder Sarabia and will be confident Messi can unpick a defence which has reverted to its past self in recent weeks after a period of invincibility.
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Rather than proving they are best, right now Barcelona will be trying to show they are the least bad of Spain’s historic rivals. Junior Firpo is a worry, the most obvious weak spot in their own defence for Madrid to target, with the former Betis left-back at fault for Dries Mertens’s strike in midweek, although Pique and Nelson Semedo didn’t cover themselves in glory either by letting the Belgian have as much time as he liked to pick his spot.
“Pep, your finger is showing us the way,” splashed Spanish newspaper Diario Sport on Thursday, keen for Barcelona to learn from their former coach Guardiola, who has now won at the Santiago Bernabeu six times – more than any other opposition coach.
Setien is half the coach and Barcelona are half the force they were, but a title is still a title and victory on Sunday will take the Catalans halfway there.