Barcelona coach Hansi Flick says his team’s positioning and work off the ball is the key to stopping Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé in Sunday’s Clásico at Spotify Camp Nou (watch live in the U.S. on ABC and ESPN+ at 4 p.m. ET).
Barça have won all nine of their LaLiga games so far this season and can open up a nine point lead over Madrid by beating them this weekend and making it 10 consecutive wins.
Victory would also break the record, set by Los Blancos in 1968-69, for the best-ever start to a league season in Spain’s top flight.
However, standing in their way is Jose Mourinho’s Madrid, led by France star Mbappé, who has netted 12 goals in 12 appearances this season and will pose a major threat to Barça’s backline.
“For us, important is our positioning, against the ball and with the ball,” Flick said in a news conference on Saturday when asked how his side planned to limit Mbappé’s involvement in the game.
“Against the ball, it’s about the right positioning between each other, being compact, this is important when you play with this high line.
“If we have all this, for the backline it’s much easier to defend. This is what we have to do.”
While Barça’s attack has scored at an incredible rate this season, netting 50 goals in 12 games, the Spanish champions’ defending has at times been questioned.
They have conceded 15 goals, including four as they tasted defeat for the first time in the current campaign against Paris Saint-Germain in midweek, and also have injury problems ahead of the Clásico.
Eric García, Jules Koundé and Andreas Christensen will all miss the game — in addition to midfielder Dani Olmo — with Flick likely to field the same back four which started in Paris: Xavi Espart, Pau Cubarsí, Gerard Martín and João Cancelo.
“For me, Cuba and Gerard are playing a really good season,” Flick added.
“What they are doing is unbelievable. They are working together, speaking together, growing together. I am really happy for that.
“And Espart did really good in the last games. Right-back, left-back, he doesn’t care about this. He is an unbelievable player, but also has space to improve, a lot of potential.”
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Flick also revealed Barça have been working on defending set plays after struggling to deal with them against PSG in midweek.
“We know Madrid’s strengths at set pieces,” he said. “We have analysed it; they’re one of the best in this. Of course they have quality, physically strong players.
“We spoke about this today and also trained this today. It’s about us defending it much better than in Paris. This is what we did today.”
A Barça win would move them nine points clear of Madrid at this early stage of the season, but Flick pointed out the scale of the rivalry between the two teams means the fixture transcends the points.
“The Clásico is different,” he said. “It’s the best game. The whole world is looking at this game. Millions of people, different cultures, different generations are connected by this game. It’s unbelievable.
“It’s only three points, but it’s much more. It’s fantastic to be a part of this. I think we are ready. I have confidence about my team. I have a good feeling.”
