Real Madrid legend Roberto Carlos has called for his former team to win the La Liga and end Barcelona’s dominance in Spain’s domestic competition ahead of the El Clasico.
Barcelona are gearing up to welcome Real at the Camp Nou for the first El Clasico of this season on Saturday.
The Brazil great has said that the teams main focus this year should be to win the La Liga and end Barca’s dominance in the domestic circuit.
The Los Blancos have performed exceptionally well in European competitions winning the UEFA Champions League twice in three years but have failed to win the La Liga since 2011/12 season.
Barcelona have been a dominant force in Spain’s elite division – winning three out of the last four titles.
Although Real have been right up there, having finished in the top two in eleven out of the last 12 campaigns, but the Santiago Bernabeu outfit have failed to lift the trophy as the Catalan side have dominated the La Liga in the past decade.
?⚽️? #RMCity
Training ✅We’re all set for El Clásico! ?#RMClasico #HalaMadrid pic.twitter.com/71IfT6EhCK
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Carlos feels that domestic success should be Real’s priority this season, although he said that Zinedine Zidane was capable of lifting the treble with this team.
The former World Cup winner with Brazil was talking to Omnisport when he said, “If Madrid can successfully juggle the league as well as the Champions League and the cups then I think we could win all three.”
“I think the most important thing this year is to win the league as it has been too long since we have been champions.”
The Los Blancos are on a hot 32 match unbeaten streak, and lead Barcelona by 6 points sitting at the top of the La Liga.
“Everybody is playing well so far. Six points ahead gives you a bit of breathing space but not too much,” Roberto Carlos said. “It’s a very difficult and long season. The gap allows the team to push on in search of the title.” he added.
Going in the El Clasico, Real have been very solid defensively this season, having conceded just 11 goals this season – whereas they have scored a whooping 36 goals so far.
“Obviously it has a big part to do with Zidane but also the entire technical staff,” Roberto Carlos added. “Madrid are now a very well organised team in attack and defence, and that’s the reason why the team has gone so long without losing a match.”
“Even though the atmosphere was good under the previous manager [Rafael Benitez], the results weren’t coming. With the arrival of Zidane the team evolved a lot and that’s why I think the team has got this advantage so early in the season over its competitors.”
? The final training session before El Clásico: https://t.co/gFXfbiCqMK #ElClasico #ForçaBarça pic.twitter.com/rxU1NtnhMm
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“From the beginning of the season the team has shown a very positive growth.”
Although Barcelona are struggling coming in the El Clasico, having drawn their last two games against Malaga and Real Sociedad, but Roberto Carlos said that Real could not afford to take the Catalan giants lightly.
“Playing at Camp Nou is always very difficult. If we can get a win like we did last year, it will give even more confidence to the team and help us distance ourselves even more from our rivals, because to be the champions of La Liga you have to win away at the hardest of stadiums – one of those is Camp Nou,” he said.
“It’s not that Barcelona are playing badly, the other teams playing against them have been playing very well.
“It’s obvious that if we win at Camp Nou we stretch the lead to nine points.
“It’s not that the league is decided but it will be a very big statement and it will provide a nice buffer for the team. I played so many Clasicos but the feeling of when you lose is the same as losing the World Cup final. No one ever likes to lose matches of that magnitude.”
