Things are heating up before the Clasico. Leader of La Liga with two points ahead of FC Barcelona, Real Madrid welcomes its eternal rival this Sunday. The match already promises to be tense, especially after the incendiary remarks of Lamine Yamal, accusing the Madrilenians of cheating: “Yes, they steal, they complain all the time…”declared the young 18-year-old Blaugrana star during a stream with Ibai Llanos.
These accusations caused a reaction in the Madrid locker room, where there is talk of“a mixture of fatigue and weariness” faced with provocations from the Catalan number 10. At a press conference on Saturday, Xabi Alonso chose not to fuel the controversy: “It’s a pretty important match, it has a lot of ingredients to play well. And that’s what excites us the most for tomorrow”he first declared.
Relaunched on Yamal's words, the Spanish technician was more direct: “There are a lot of statements from people in Barcelona, and I can't analyze them all. There are times for everything. The players must be ready. »
After another insistent question, Alonso clearly showed his annoyance: “Are we going to come back to this again? What I anticipate is that it will be an intense and hard-fought match. You have to be ready, because there will be times for everything. Players must have the necessary adrenaline. I don't think about the other consequences. »
The Madrid press reacts
Despite the measured tone of the Madrid staff, the local press is ignited. Roberto Gomez, journalist Radio MARCAjudges the words of the Barcelonan “very serious” and believes that this “will have consequences for him and his teammates”. Defensa Central even anticipates maximum pressure from supporters from the kick-off.
In Barcelona, the team supports Yamal. Marcus Sorg, assistant coach of the suspended Hansi Flick, defended the young prodigy: “Lamine is a top player and I think the criticism will motivate him. I hope we see him put in a great performance tomorrow. » See you this Sunday for the response on the ground.
