El Clásico: Zidane's Real Madrid - Barcelona press conference

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Zinedine Zidane's pre-Clásico press conference:

13:22: And that is that. The chief headline from Zidane's press conference is that, in the Real Madrid coach's words, "Cristiano Ronaldo is at 100%." Thanks for reading!

13:21: Zidane was also asked earlier if, after Bale's injury in the Clásico last April - having declared himself fit to return to action - he has lost trust in his players' self-assessments, particularly before big games? "No, I always trust my players and how they say they feel. That can happen; it happened to Gareth, but it could happen to any player."

13:20: Do you have any specific plans for Paulinho? "With Barcelona there are a lot of things to think about, more than any other team. They have players we have to look out for; you'll see tomorrow."

13:19: Zidane: "We're going to have to put in a great display against a very good team."

13:18: Will you seek to have the ball or wait for Barcelona? "What we want to do is play football; as for how we play, we'll see. I'm not going to tell you anything."

13:17: Mark out of ten for 2017? "I'm not going to give us a mark; I was asked the same question last year. I think that overall, the assessment has to be positive. In LaLiga we've found life a little difficult [this season] and dropped a few points, but there's a long way to go."

13:16: Unconvincing Barcelona: "I'm not interested in whether Barça are playing well or badly; the thing I look at is that they're top of the league, and they're there for a reason. We're behind them, and our aim in tomorrow's game is to cut the gap and put in a good display."

13:15: Tactical battle: "We'll try to play good football. I can't tell you how we're going to play, whether we're going to focus on the flanks or down the middle. The most important thing is that we have to play good stuff."

13:13: Is Bale fit to play 90 minutes now? "You'll see tomorrow."

13:12: Is Gareth Bale going to play? "We'll see."

13:11: Bernabéu home crowd: "We'll need the fans behind us from the first minute to the last."

13:10: What's at stake for you personally? "Three points."

13:09: Zidane: "We're in good shape. The only thing I'm interested in is how my team is doing. We're up against a strong team - they're top of the table for a reason."

13:08:  Cristiano's conflict with the club: "I'm not going to get into that. He's only focused on the match. Cristiano deserves all the respect of the club. We'll talk after the holidays."

13:07: Cristiano Ronaldo's fitness: "He's at 100%"

13:06: Is LaLiga lost if you go down to Barcelona? "No, not at all. Whatever happens, we're going to keep the mindset that this is a very long season and that this is just one more game."

13:05: Zidane: "Games between Real and Barcelona are always very special, very difficult, but players are in the game for these kinds of matches. To win a league, it's not just about these specific games; but these are the games that are at the forefront of players' minds."

13:04: Guard of honour by Barcelona - is it humiliation or a show of respect? "I'm not interested in that; I'm only interested in the game. Nothing more."

13:03: Is this Clásico the best keeper in LaLiga - Marc-André ter Stegen - against the poorest finishers? "Everyone can have their own opinion on which keeper is the best. What we're interested in is the game and how we approach the game as a team."

13:01: Zidane: "We feel good, happy to go into this game. We're ready to put in a great performance. We're ready."

13:00: Out Zizou comes!

12:53: You can also while away the wait for Zidane with a shufties at Diario AS's Real Madrid and Barcelona all-time Clásico XIs, picked by journalists Tomás Roncero and Santi Giménez, respectively. 

12:44: While you wait for Zidane, why not peruse our Clásico bitesize news, which is all about goals, goals and more goals...?

12:37: Cristiano Ronaldo has had to train away from the group since picking up a knock in the Club World Cup final, but could be seen going through his paces as normal in this morning's session, indicating that he'll be fine to start against Barcelona tomorrow.

12:28: Good afternoon! Join us for live coverage of Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane's press conference ahead of El Clásico against Barcelona on Saturday. 'Zizou' is expected to come out at sometime between 12:30 and 13:00 CET.