Real Madrid News
Real Madrid are ‘afraid of Barcelona’, says former midfielder ahead of Copa semi-final
Former Barcelona and Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure has pressed that despite Real Madrid’s strong mentality, they are ‘afraid of Barcelona’.
Speaking in an interview with MARCA, the former midfielder spoke at length about several aspects, such as his experience of playing against Madrid, the upcoming El Clasico and others.
Over the years, Madrid have made a habit of making strong comebacks. This was perfectly depicted in the UEFA Champions League last season where they went on make stunning comebacks against Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Manchester City.
So when asked about Madrid’s comeback spirit, Toure said that although all teams are afraid of Madrid in Europe, the world champions are afraid of Barcelona.
“Madrid has always had that strength and we know it. They have the quality and mentality, which is very different. Whenever I’ve played against Madrid, you get the impression that they can win.
“They have that winning and fighting mentality. In the last minutes, they push hard to win. In Europe, all the teams are afraid of Madrid, but Madrid is afraid of Barcelona. And it has always been so,” he added.
He further added that since Barcelona already have an advantage, they are going to win on aggregate and might as well go on to win the cup. According to Toure, if the match will end without a winner, the score might be 2-2 or 3-3.
“Barça has an advantage. They already won in the first leg and have more options in the second leg. I don’t think it’s a tie and, if it does, it will be something like 2-2 or 3-3, I don’t see a 0-0 or 0-1. The way Barça is now, they will win the game and, probably, the Cup,” he explained.
At the same time, he expressed: “It will be an intense clash, But there may be dynamite because even if Barcelona have an advantage, it will be difficult for them.
“Of course, with the great form they have, I think they can sneak into the final. I hope they pass, but anything can happen. Nobody knows!
Real Madrid are looking towards a heavy splurge in the coming summer transfer window. After all, they do not even have another option given the sheer number of player departures already finalized.
Los Blancos have lost the services of Karim Benzema, Marco Asensio, Mariano Diaz, and Eden Hazard over the past week. While three of the four players predominantly featured on the bench, their presence in the squad gave Carlo Ancelotti’s side much-needed depth and a cushion of sorts.
The forward unit is, thus, the most prioritized department ahead of the transfer window. However, pieces are beginning to fall apart on other fronts and could potentially put the club in a difficult situation.
According to reports from Gianluca Di Marzio, Juventus are eyeing Lucas Vazquez and hope to sign him in the coming month. Contacts between the two parties have begun and the transfer fee discussed appears to be around the €6 million to €8 million ballpark given that he has just one year left on his contract.
The player, for his part, is willing to sign for the Italian giants given his relative lack of minutes at the Santiago Bernabeu. At 31 years of age, he understandably does not want to play a second-fiddle role.
Vasquez played part in 23 of Real Madrid’s 38 La Liga games last season, starting only on 12 occasions. Even in his few appearances, he averaged a mere 50 minutes per game.
The veteran completed the season with four goals and an assist to his name. Further, he averaged five defensive actions and a key pass in every game and feels hard done by his limited role.
Vazquez’s departure would place the club in a tricky situation as it would leave Real Madrid with only Dani Carvajal as a natural right-back option. Nacho Fernandez could, in theory, serve as the backup but a new signing for the position cannot be ruled out.
