El Clásico is "not like a final" insists Barcelona's Rakitic
Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic says El Clasico clashes with Real Madrid cannot be viewed as a cup final.
Ivan Rakitic feels Saturday's Clásico cannot be treated like a cup final as Barcelona prepare to take on rivals Real Madrid.
Barça head into the game at the Santiago Bernabéu topping LaLiga with an 11-point lead over Madrid, with the city rivals of Zinedine Zidane's side, Atlético de Madrid, their closest challengers in the table. Ernesto Valverde and captain Andrés Iniesta have warned that a Barcelona win - extending the cushion over the defending champions to 14 points - would not signal the end of the title race.
Barcelona have to take one game at a time, says Rakitic
And Rakitic, who is expected to start tomorrow, was also keen to play down the importance of this clash, with the Catalan giants seeking a third successive Bernabéu league win for the first time in the club's history. "We don't think of it like a final," Rakitic told Sky Sports. "Valencia are close to us, so are Atlético and Sevilla."It is very difficult to play in LaLiga, it's not like four or five years ago with just two teams, you have to go at every game 100 per cent. You can't just say we'll get three points in all games and then wait for the Clásico, you have to prepare every game in the best way. Of course we know that a lot of people in the world just wait for this game, and we want to finish the year in the best way, but if we get this win it is not done. There are a lot more big, hard games. It's step by step."
Despite an injury scare after hurting his calf in the Club World Cup final win over Grêmio, Cristiano Ronaldo has been passed fit to play for Madrid, while Barca are without summer signing Ousmane Dembélé who has failed to recover from a hamstring problem.