"He will be looking for revenge": Rodri turns up the heat on the Clasico with a fiery message to Real Madrid
A highly anticipated clash at the Camp Nou
Barcelona's players want to settle next Sunday's Clasico against Real Madrid and, with victory, stretch their lead at the top to nine points. It's a huge match for the Catalans, who are out to strengthen their grip on their old rivals.
Speaking to DAZN, Barcelona midfielder Rodri looked ahead to the showdown, which will be his first Clasico in almost seven years. His last outing against Real Madrid came back in the 2018-2019 season, when he was an Atletico Madrid player.
On Jose Mourinho, the Real Madrid coach, Rodri was full of praise for his strong personality and his methods, while flagging up how different his philosophy is from Barcelona's approach.
"We know he is a coach with a big personality," the midfielder said. "He is a very decisive person, and he has a very clear philosophy. He always raises the level of competition within his team, and he has a different style from ours."
A tough night awaits, Rodri insisted. Real Madrid will come out determined to win and put right their recent Clasico record. Los Blancos have won just two of the last seven meetings between the sides, and that, he reckons, hands them extra motivation for Sunday.
"We expect Real Madrid to do everything in their power," he added. "They have won two of the last seven Clasico matches, and they will be looking for revenge."
Nor did the Barcelona man shy away from his side's recent slip against Paris Saint-Germain. It won't dent the team's ambitions or their hunger to keep winning, he stressed, backing the players to carry their competitive edge into the big game.
He signed off by insisting the drive inside the Catalan camp hasn't wavered. "We come after this stumble in Paris, but we are maintaining the mentality and the desire to continue achieving great things."
