Barcelona v Real Madrid:REAL MADRID manager Jose Mourinho will renew hostilities with Barcelona tonight in his first Clasico since taking over the reins at the Bernabeu.
Mourinho, who worked as a translator at Barca in the late 90s, has clashed with his former club on numerous occasions. And with Real one point ahead of Pep Guardiola’s title holders, it promises to be an enthralling match at Camp Nou.
“It was nice going back to Barca with Chelsea and Inter but going with Real will be even sweeter,” said Mourinho. “I beat Barcelona with Chelsea and Inter Milan and now I am in charge of their biggest rival in Real Madrid so all this combined means I will get a hostile reception.”
Real have not beaten Barcelona at Camp Nou since December 2007 when a Julio Baptista goal secured a 1-0 win and their last victory came after the infamous guard of honour in May 2008. Barcelona had to pay tribute to Real as champions at the Bernabeu – and were then hammered 4-1.
Since then Barcelona have won the last four encounters under Guardiola, who boasts a 100 per cent record as coach in the fixture.
Mourinho, though, has regularly been a thorn in the side of Barca, a section of whose fans still call him “the translator” following his time working at the club under former coach Bobby Robson.
As Chelsea manager, the Portuguese gained a 2-2 draw in Catalonia in the group stages of the 2006/’07 Champions League.
In last season’s competition, with eventual champions Inter Milan, he lost the second leg 1-0 at Camp Nou but prevailed 3-2 on aggregate and then provoked further ire by celebrating on the pitch at the final whistle.
But for all his confidence, Mourinho and his team will be wary of the threat posed by forward Lionel Messi, Real’s tormentor-in-chief in this fixture in recent years, and a player who has scored in his last 10 games, including a hat-trick in last weekend’s 8-0 thrashing of Almeria.
“Real will come to Camp Nou with revenge in mind,” said Messi, who has scored in three out of the last four victories over Madrid including a brace in the 6-2 win at the Bernabeu two seasons ago.
“Since the 6-2 I guess they have a real desire to beat us and this season they have strengthened with the new signings and (Jose) Mourinho.”
One of Real’s expensive recruits – former Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo – has also been in sensational form, scoring a hat-trick in Real’s 5-1 win over Athletic Bilbao last week.
Real duo Gonzalo Higuain and Sami Khedira have shaken off minor injuries and are included in Mourinho’s 20-man squad.
Argentina striker Higuain and Germany midfielder Khedira were injured in last weekend’s win over Athletic Bilbao and sat out Tuesday’s Champions League victory at Ajax. The pair trained normally with the rest of the squad in Madrid yesterday.
