Xavi and Ancelotti predict fierce El Clasico competition while downplaying favoritism

That time of the year has come for two of the world’s biggest clubs Barcelona and Real Madrid to face each other in another exciting El Clasico fixture. Managers Xavi Hernandez and Carlo Ancelotti will hope for a victory in the Spanish Super Cup final to ensure the first trophy of the season belongs to them.

Both teams will be desperate for the trophy after going past the semi-finals. With such a rich history and rivalry between them, it will be a fixture with many eyes on it globally, and with such high stakes as well.

Xavi acknowledges Bellingham’s talents but vows Barca won’t bow to individual brilliance

Barcelona will be desperate to grab a victory over their eternal rivals, with the Catalans already having lost to them earlier this season. The first league game at the Catalan home ground saw a disappointing 2-1 loss to Madrid, all thanks to their blockbuster new signing Jude Bellingham. The English midfielder had scored 2 goals to snatch victory at the death.

Furthermore, Bellingham has been dangerous for the Los Blancos, scoring 17 times in the last 22 games for them. He has been a vital part of their season, and he is definitely their best player currently. And he is sure to cause problems for Barcelona once again, but Xavi doesn’t think so.

The former Barcelona midfielder and current manager agrees with his brilliance but won’t focus on him. He said in the pre-game press conference, “We do not focus on one player in Real Madrid because they have many excellent players, led by Jude Bellingham, who is performing at a great level.” Indeed the defending Copa del Rey champions have a very good strong squad on paper, and clearly are the favorites regardless of Bellingham’s presence or not.

Ancelotti sees ‘no favorites’ but believes Xavi ‘doesn’t have the experience’ as a coach

Real Madrid may have the upper hand on Barcelona now, but they will be looking for revenge for last season’s Spanish Super Cup final loss to them. Despite his team’s clear superiority to their rival team, manager Carlo Ancelotti believes there are no favorites in an El Clasico fixture. He said, “In a Clásico, there are no favorites by career. The small details will decide the final.”

Barcelona are clearly at a disadvantage ahead of the fixture, having lost key players to injury while seeing many of their star players suffer an underwhelming period. Furthermore, Xavi seems to be losing his tactical edge in recent times, with his team suffering in many matches this season.

But Ancelotti believes Xavi is doing very well for his position, even though he is quite inexperienced as a manager yet. He said, “Xavi is doing an excellent job. He doesn’t have the experience that I have because he is very young.” Despite being new to the managerial spotlight, Xavi has shown he has what it takes, winning the La Liga trophy last season.

Tonight will see both teams face off in the Spanish Super Cup final in Riyadh, and both teams will hope for a victory to clinch their first title of the season.