Ernest Valverde acknowledged the approaching match against Madrid's "Real" that victory in these matches could be crucial in the further fight for the "La Liga" title.
Both teams are neck and neck this season: after 17 games, both "Barcelona" and "Real" have 35 points each, so after these matches, one of the teams will have the opportunity to establish itself as the leader.
"Every 'El Clasico' is difficult," said E. Valverde at a press conference. "For some players, these will be their first matches of this type. They have special significance, you can feel it as soon as you enter the tunnel of the stadium."
"This is just the first half of this season and we still have many games to play, but both teams would like to have the advantage in the standings after tonight's match.
The fact that both teams currently have the same number of points shows how balanced this season is. "Real" usually plays very intensely in matches like this," the strategist continued.
It is widely discussed that "Barcelona" had more time to prepare for this match - the Madrid team played their last game on Sunday evening, while "Barca" had rested since Saturday.
"One extra day can have some impact. Maybe we have some advantage, but I have no doubt that both teams will be in good shape," added E. Valverde.
