Frenkie de Jong will play no part in the Netherlands' two opening Euro 2024 qualifiers due to injury.

The Barcelona midfielder played the full 90 minutes as the Blaugrana beat Real Madrid 2-1 in Sunday's El Clasico to move 12 points clear at the top of LaLiga.

But he was left with "upper leg complaints", the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) said, leading to his withdrawal from the Oranje squad for their upcoming fixtures.

Ajax forward Steven Bergwijn has also had to pull out with a knee injury.

PSV midfielder Joey Veerman and Borussia Dortmund's Donyell Malen have been chosen by Ronald Koeman as the respective replacements.

The Netherlands begin their campaign against France in Paris on Friday, before hosting Gibraltar at De Kuip three days later.

Friday's trip to France will be the first game of Koeman's second spell in charge.

The former Barcelona boss was confirmed as the Oranje's new head coach before last year's World Cup, with Louis van Gaal presiding over their run to the Qatar 2022 quarter-finals.

Xavi described Barcelona's 2-1 win over Clasico rivals Real Madrid as "a very important victory for us" as his team roared 12 points clear at the top of LaLiga.

A first league title since 2018-19 is within Barcelona's grasp now, with a dozen matchdays remaining and no end in sight to their dominance.

A 22nd win from 26 games in this season's championship was hard-earned at Camp Nou, where a freak own goal from Ronald Araujo gave Madrid a ninth-minute lead.

Barcelona's equaliser could hardly have been better timed, coming just before half-time from Sergi Roberto, who was given the nod to start in midfield ahead of Franck Kessie.

That gave Barcelona a huge lift to take into the interval and they struck at the death in the second half too, with substitute Kessie the man to send the home support wild in stoppage time.

Xavi celebrated on the touchline, all too aware of that goal's significance. Barring a staggering implosion over the remaining weeks of the season, Xavi's Barcelona will be champions in his first full season at the helm, dethroning their great rivals from Madrid.

"We dominated, we generated more chances," Xavi said. "I am leaving satisfied. The team emptied itself and worked in defence and attack. It is a very important victory for us. I think we have been good."

He was right about the chances, with Barcelona leading that count 17-11 over the course of the game, and the expected goals final reckoning, measuring the quality of chances and likelihood of scoring, was also firmly in their favour by a margin of 1.64 to 0.58.

Robert Lewandowski missed what was determined to be the best chance of the game, with his volley in the 67th minute flying over Thibaut Courtois' goal. That was given an xG rating of 0.377.

Madrid also had a goal chalked off after Marco Asensio beat Marc-Andre ter Stegen in the 81st minute but was ruled offside after a VAR check.

"I think we had more control," Xavi said. "I think we have been superior in general."

His team had 54 per cent of possession, having had just 35.2 per cent in their 1-0 win at the Santiago Bernabeu in the Copa del Rey at the start of March.

Sergi Roberto was named man of the match, and the goal justified his selection, with the experienced one-club man trusted for the big occasion. He featured at right-back last week, but with Araujo returning from suspension was handed a role further upfield, with Barcelona packing their midfield.

Former Milan star Kessie proved he can thrive in such a big occasion, too, with his intervention off the bench, and Xavi could hardly have been more delighted.

"I had doubts until the last moment between Sergi and Franck. In the end it turned out very well because they both scored," Xavi said.

Carlo Ancelotti insisted Real Madrid deserved to defeat Barcelona as the Los Blancos coach questioned the late VAR decision to rule out Marco Asensio's' goal in Sunday's 2-1 Clasico loss.

Substitute Asensio thought he had snatched a late winner at Camp Nou, turning home from Dani Carvajal's cross in the 81st minute before a lengthy VAR check adjudged the Spain international to be offside.

Franck Kessie coolly finished past Thibaut Courtois 11 minutes later as Barca grabbed a last-gasp victory to move 12 points clear at the summit of LaLiga.

Ancelotti was unconvinced by the decision to disallow the goal for Asensio, who was deemed to be in front of Jules Kounde, but lauded a resilient Madrid performance on Sunday.

The Italian said to Movistar: "You have to accept [the decision]. But I'm left with doubt. Surely there is nothing. We have the right to have that doubt.

"We played a good game, we deserved to win, it was won. Then there is the question of this goal that was disallowed.

"We tried everything at the end, we lost a bit of balance and they scored. The game was very good, we leave with the confidence that we can finish the season well."

With 12 league games left to play after the international break, and a two-legged Champions League quarter-final against Chelsea to follow in April, Ancelotti vowed Madrid will battle until the end.

"We are going to fight for all competitions, to the maximum," he added. "We have to try to play like this again. If we play like this we will win something, for sure."

Defeat to Barca came just four days after the Champions League last-16 victory over Liverpool and Ancelotti suggested Madrid are suffering from a gruelling schedule.

"We have a greater disadvantage than before and it is even more difficult, but we are going to play until the last game," he told reporters at his post-match press conference.

"The plan did not change with the substitutions we made, only the individual characteristics change, such as [yellow] cards, suspensions and fatigue."

Ancelotti also acknowledged Madrid's title charge was hampered by a disappointing return to club action after the mid-season World Cup break.

"January has cost us a lot because after the World Cup it was difficult for us to recover our condition," he continued.

"But we are going to finish the season well. Today the game was good, with a good approach, with good changes."

Thibaut Courtois vowed to continue fighting but acknowledged Real Madrid's LaLiga title hopes may be over after a dramatic defeat at Barcelona on Sunday.

Franck Kessie scored a last-gasp Clasico winner in a 2-1 win over fierce rivals Madrid at Camp Nou to send Xavi's side 12 points clear at the top heading into the international break.

Carlo Ancelotti's side had taken the lead through Ronald Araujo's ninth-minute own goal, only for Sergi Roberto to deservedly equalise on the stroke of half-time.

Courtois impressed with a fine individual display to keep Los Blancos in the game, though the goalkeeper conceded Madrid's defence of their Spanish crown will likely come to an end.

The Belgium international told LaLiga TV: "We have to be honest. We will continue fighting, but there are four games difference.

"We have the advantage on goals [on head-to-head record], but it is difficult. Nothing is impossible, but... we will have to come here to win in the Copa del Rey [semi-final]."

Kessie's late strike, timed at 91 minutes and two seconds, was the latest LaLiga winning goal Barca have scored in the Clasico since Lionel Messi's finish (91:48) in a 3-2 win in April 2017.

But Courtois believes Xavi's hosts would not have found a way back if Madrid could have withstood the pressure before the interval.

He added: "We played a great game. We both had chances. You go ahead, control and they strike before half-time. That affects us. With 0-1 at half-time, I don't think they would have won.

"In the second half we played well. We didn't have many chances but when they arrived we didn't take advantage of them. We were going for the victory, we left spaces and they scored a goal against us.

"I'm happy to help the team, but we haven't achieved victory. We mustn't give up. I'm sure we can come to win in the Copa del Rey and do well in the Champions League."

While Courtois suggested the LaLiga title was destined for Barcelona, Sergi Roberto refuted that message as he referenced the resilience of Madrid.

"You can never say it. There are many games left and you can never say Madrid are dead," he said. "12 points is a difficult distance to let go, but it depends on us, which is good."

Madrid thought they had snatched a late victory before Kessie's winner, with substitute Marco Asensio seeing an 81st-minute strike ruled out for offside after a lengthy VAR review.

That late drama made the victory even sweeter, according to Roberto, who added: "We came back from a goal by Asensio that we hadn't realised was offside.

"Then we scored and it tastes better winning like that, at the last minute."

Questions may have been raised by some after Sergi Roberto was preferred to start over Kessie in midfield, though the Spain international felt he repaid the backing of Xavi with his performance.

"Today it was either Franck or me and in the end we both scored," he continued.

"I am very happy to continue in the club of my life. I have only played in this club. I thank Xavi, the board, the president. It is my way of returning my love. Now we can rest during the break."

It all came down to this. El Clasico at Camp Nou on Sunday was Real Madrid's final realistic hope of reigniting LaLiga's title race, but Franck Kessie's dramatic late winner puts Barcelona practically out of sight.

While Barca coach Xavi had been keen to downplay the idea of this contest being in any way "definitive", only going as far as suggesting victory would be a "strong blow", it's difficult to imagine him actually believing those comments now.

Kessie's neat strike secured Barca a thrilling 2-1 win and their celebrations said it all. This was no standard Clasico victory – it was a win that should bury Madrid's title hopes once and for all, putting the Blaugrana a massive 12 points clear with as many games to go.

Were it any other team then perhaps Madrid might still retain a modicum of belief, but this is a Barca side that have only conceded five LaLiga goals all season to teams not named 'Real Madrid'.

What hope do they really have of Barca dropping at least 12 points? After all, no team has ever even overturned a nine-point lead at this stage in a season, let alone a 12-point deficit.

Yet it had all started so well.

It was particularly fitting to see the opening goal involve the two men routinely identified as the key battle in Clasicos these days.

Vinicius Junior has become a talismanic figure for Madrid, while Ronald Araujo has developed into one of the most dependable and formidable defenders in Europe.

Their tussles are now something of a feature in El Clasico, and this instalment produced a major early flashpoint.

Vinicius was allowed to run with the ball in the Barca box, and although he initially moved away from goal, he then jinked right towards the byline, his clipped left-footed cross hitting the head of Araujo and glancing past the helpless Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

While fortuitous, it was a swift reminder of the danger posed by Madrid's Brazilian winger after Barca had begun the game with a flourish.

The game's other Brazilian winger looked Barca's best bet to get on the scoresheet. A brilliant header – pushed away by Thibaut Courtois – a few moments before Araujo's own goal was Raphinha's first involvement.

He then produced a series of crosses before the half-hour mark, causing plenty of problems in the Madrid defence as Raphinha looked to test their suitability against an aerial bombardment.

Vintage Barca? Perhaps not, but there were signs of encouragement at least, with Andreas Christensen heading one such delivery agonisingly wide.

Raphinha's new-found influence and confidence was clear to see, and he then looked to take matters into his own hands as he shook off Nacho Fernandez and forced Courtois into a fingertip save.

So, just as it was unsurprising to see Vinicius instigate the opener, Raphinha playing a part in the equaliser was similarly predictable.

Well, sort of. Initially he drew cackles of derision from Madrid fans and simultaneous groans of bewilderment from the Barca supporters as his air shot saw a glorious chance go begging. But a few seconds later, on the stroke of half-time, it was his effort that was blocked right to Sergi Roberto, who coolly slotted out of Courtois' reach – 1.1.

It was a goal that seemingly restored real poise to Barca at the start of the second half, with Madrid initially looking even less of a threat than before the interval.

Part of Los Blancos' problem appeared to stem from a lack of invention. Everything went through Vinicius, and he was – for a while – the only Madrid player who looked likely to worry Barca.

As lively as he was, their dependency on him made Madrid largely one-dimensional, and unfortunately for them Vinicius couldn't do it all on his own.

For a moment that looked irrelevant. Substitute Marco Asensio stroked into the bottom-left corner in the 81st minute after meeting Dani Carvajal's pass. Suddenly Madrid's title challenge was reignited, only for those hopes to be brutally extinguished by a VAR check – Asensio was fractionally offside.

The sheer gut-wrenching disappointment sweeping across the visiting team was almost tangible. They'd gone from bedlam to broken in a matter of seconds, and what followed was a further, and surely fatal, body-blow.

Kessie finished from Alejandro Balde's cut-back to essentially leave Madrid needing two goals in stoppage time to salvage any semblance of hope.

That was beyond them.

Madrid will now have to carry on pretending to believe the near-impossible is plausible. In reality, it's game over.

Franck Kessie scored a dramatic late winner as Barcelona took a significant step towards LaLiga glory with a 2-1 Clasico victory over Real Madrid on Sunday.

Blaugrana midfielder Kessie stroked home in the 92nd minute at Camp Nou to send Xavi's side 12 points clear of Madrid, who thought they had won it earlier when Marco Asensio saw an 81st-minute strike ruled out.

A somewhat comical Ronald Araujo own goal had offered Madrid an early lead before Sergi Roberto restored parity in the 45th minute.

Kessie's late intervention, placing past Thibaut Courtois, arrived after Asensio's finish was ruled out for offside as Barca closed on the title with 12 league games left to play.

Courtois produced impressive stops to thwart Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha but Madrid struck first after nine minutes.

Araujo inexplicably headed into his own net at the near post when attempting to defend Vinicius Junior's hopeful left-wing centre.

Courtois kept a Barca response at bay, denying Andreas Christensen's inventive flick and a fizzing Raphinha drive, although Xavi's men finally fought back on the stroke of half-time.

A desperate Eder Militao block against Raphinha saw the ball fall to Sergi Roberto, who fired into the bottom-right corner after a slight deflection wrong-footed Courtois.

Another deflected effort almost undid Madrid again after the interval, though Lewandowski's attempt off Eduardo Camavinga whistled wide to Courtois' left.

Asensio thought he had snatched victory when turning home Dani Carvajal's right-wing cross, only for a VAR review to adjudge the substitute offside.

More late drama was to follow when Kessie coolly finished into the bottom-right corner from Alejandro Balde's low centre as Barca edged closer towards a first top-flight crown since 2019.

Xavi entrusted Sergi Roberto with a key midfield role for Barcelona as the LaLiga front-runners took on Real Madrid in a titanic Clasico.

Barcelona went into Sunday's match at Camp Nou with a nine-point lead over second-placed Madrid, making the fixture hugely significant given just 12 rounds of games remain after the international break.

The hosts were without Pedri due to fitness concerns, and this was an occasion where Barcelona boss Xavi opted on the side of pragmatism, packing his midfield as Sergi Roberto stepped up from right-back, where he featured in last week's win over Athletic Bilbao.

Although Sergi Roberto has come in for criticism at times, Xavi is a former team-mate of his and considered him the right man for the big occasion, with Franck Kessie, another midfield option, named on the bench.

Ferran Torres was a starter against Athletic but dropped to the bench this time as Barcelona fielded a front two of Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha, with massed ranks behind them.

Sergi Roberto was joined in midfield by a fellow veteran campaigner in Sergio Busquets, with Frenkie de Jong in there too, along with teenage livewire Gavi.

Ronald Araujo returned from suspension at right-back, and his battle with Madrid winger Vinicius Junior was widely expected to be a key contest.

Madrid won 3-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu when these sides met in the league earlier in the season, but Barcelona snatched a 1-0 victory at the same venue in the Copa del Rey in early March.

Carlo Ancelotti's visitors were captained by Karim Benzema, with Eduardo Camavinga preferred to Aurelien Tchouameni in midfield, where Luka Modric and Toni Kroos also featured.

Barcelona came into the game having lost five of their last six league Clasicos, with Madrid winning on their last two LaLiga visits to Camp Nou.

Los Blancos have only ever won three successive league games at Barcelona, between January 1963 and February 1965, but their title hopes for this season arguably rested on them repeating that feat.

Pedri believes that Barcelona completing the LaLiga and Copa del Rey double this season would represent the start of a new era in Spain. 

The Blaugrana are nine points clear at the LaLiga summit with 13 matches remaining ahead of Sunday's blockbuster clash with second-placed Real Madrid.

Xavi's side are also a goal to the good in their Copa del Rey semi-final with Los Blancos, who they face in the second leg on April 5.

Pedri, 20, is one of several youngsters to play an instrumental role for Barca this season, scoring six times in 22 appearances with only Robert Lewandowski (15) netting more in the Spanish top flight.

And the midfielder, who will miss the latest Clasico after suffering an injury setback, feels a Barca double would represent a changing of the guard.

"The younger generation is coming up at a global level," said the midfielder, who was speaking as a global TCL Mobile brand ambassador.

"And as for us, we are seeing many of these young players emerging with a drive to succeed all without fearing the pressure of playing for Barca. If we win those two titles, [a new era in Spain] would be confirmed a little bit.

"For me, it would be a dream to win my first LaLiga. Any child dreams of that, and even more so for the club you love. That would be crazy."

Barca would take a giant step towards domestic glory with victory over Madrid at Camp Nou, where the Blaugrana have not beaten their rivals in five years.

While Pedri does not think the result will determine the destination of the title, he has urged his team-mates to deliver for the supporters.

"It’s only three more points," he said. "It's a huge turning point because it's against a direct rival. It will be a very difficult game, Real Madrid is always a very challenging opponent. Let's see what happens.

"Hopefully this year, we can bring joy to our fans. They have deserved it for a long time. Barca are used to playing and winning at Camp Nou, so we have to go for the victory."

Despite their favourable position, it has been another disappointing campaign for the club on the European front.

Barca were eliminated from the Champions League group stages for the second successive year – finishing third behind Bayern Munich and Inter before bowing out of the Europa League following their knockout play-off defeat to Manchester United.

Pedri thinks fortune went against the Blaugrana, but is confident they can provide a greater challenge in Europe's premier club competition next term.

When asked if they could genuinely challenge for the trophy next season, the 20-year-old said: "I think yes. Barca must fight for every title, and we have great potential.

"This year, apart from putting in more effort and getting chances until the end, we lacked a little luck in the key moments. Luck was often on the other side, and we suffered because of it

"The level of the teams is much higher. We have had to measure ourselves against very strong teams like Inter, Bayern Munich, Manchester United. They are three of the best teams at the moment. I am convinced that next year, we will perform really well."

Carlo Ancelotti announced he wants to stay at Real Madrid "for the rest of my life" ahead of a Clasico that could have major repercussions for his future at the club.

The former Milan, Bayern Munich and Chelsea boss signed a three-year contract when he arrived from Everton in June 2021 to replace Zinedine Zidane.

However, if Madrid finish this season empty-handed, there will inevitably be doubts over whether the Italian should stay in command.

They won the Champions League and LaLiga last term, and remain firmly in the hunt for a defence of the European title, having reached the quarter-finals, where Chelsea await them.

However, should they lose to Barcelona at Camp Nou on Sunday, Madrid will be 12 points behind their fierce rivals with 12 rounds of LaLiga games remaining. They also trail the Catalans 1-0 after the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final.

Ancelotti realises there is no guarantee Madrid will let him see out his contract through to 2024, particularly if they end this campaign without silverware, but he believes his team can finish the season with a flourish and flip the narrative.

"It is an evaluation that the club must make. I would stay at this club for the rest of my life," Ancelotti said. "It is impossible, but I would like to. It is a decision of the club, and it will take it at the end of the season.

"My thought is I want to continue, I hope it's like that. But I enjoy every day that the club wants me here. If you want it to be for three months, I'll enjoy it; if it's for three years, the same. The clear thing is that I'll be grateful for the rest of my life."

Ancelotti, 63, has also bossed Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain in a stellar career, and Madrid would be hard pushed to find a more authoritative figure. This is his second spell at the club, with Madrid president Florentino Perez a firm admirer.

There is a theory that Madrid coaches that fall short of winning titles have their fate already written.

But Ancelotti said: "The written rules change, and the unwritten ones, too. I am convinced that we are going to win something, so the topic is over."

His first stint as Madrid boss ended when the 2014-15 season yielded UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup titles but not the key trophy objectives: LaLiga, Copa del Rey and Champions League.

Madrid have won five of their last six matches against Barcelona in LaLiga – a 3-1 home success in October among them – having not won any of the previous seven.

Those recent wins have included victories on their last two league visits to Camp Nou, and Ancelotti's side will be attempting to become just the second Madrid team to win three times in a row at the home of their Clasico rivals in LaLiga.

The only time it was previously achieved was in a run from January 1963 to February 1965.

Xavi warned his Barcelona players they cannot assume the title is theirs even if they beat Real Madrid in Sunday's Clasico.

Barca welcome Madrid to Camp Nou for the second LaLiga Clasico of the season, and it comes at a potentially pivotal moment.

The Blaugrana are already nine points clear at LaLiga's summit, meaning anything other than a Madrid win will likely have the Spanish media proclaiming Barca as champions.

Even if Barca do lose, there will still likely be a fair amount of optimism at Camp Nou, given no team have ever led by as many as nine points at this stage of the season and failed to win the title.

Xavi recognises the importance of Sunday's contest, but he is not convinced by suggestions it is decisive – for either team.

"If we win, it would be a knock [for Madrid] in the table," he said.

"It wouldn't be definitive, but it would be a strong blow. Whatever happens, I think nothing will be decided [on Sunday].

"We train naturally, knowing we have a great opportunity. If we win, we will take a very important step to win the league.

"We are very motivated. For some players, it would be the first league title. We prepared for the match, no matter how important it is."

Sunday's game will be the second instalment in a run of three Clasicos in just over a month, with Barca winning 1-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu in the Copa del Rey on March 2; the second leg of that semi-final is set for April 5.

Their meeting earlier this month had a peculiar feel to it, with Real Madrid recording 64.7 per cent possession, a high for them in Clasicos since at least the 2013-14 season. At the same time, Barcelona's 35.3 per cent possession was their lowest in a single match in any competition over the same period.

Although Barca did win that game, Xavi wants to see an improvement.

"Personally, I would like us to have a little more possession of the ball than in the Copa," he said.

"We are preparing the game in a certain way. We will try to have more control than in the last Clasico, have more of the ball and be protagonists with it.

"I see Madrid as very strong, they have improved a lot physically since January. I suppose it will be a closely contested game.

"The Clasicos are unpredictable, you never know what they will bring. We have prepared well; we have prepared many aspects. We hope Camp Nou will be a pressure cooker for them."

Of course, being able to call upon the ball-playing abilities of Pedri would help Barca retain possession.

However, the Spain international will be absent again on Sunday due to a persistent hamstring injury, with Xavi unwilling to risk him.

"We knew there was risk [with Pedri]," Xavi continued. "[On Friday] he didn't feel 100 per cent, and if you're not in good shape, the best thing you can do is recover well.

"We talked to him and told him that he didn't have to force himself. It's an important game, but it's not a great final. We don't want to lose Pedri for two more months.

"We have played well without [Robert] Lewandowski, without Pedri, without [Ousmane] Dembele, without Gavi... We have done it.

"People keep talking about the first leg of the Copa semi-final, but that's the only game in which we've not had possession.

"It's clear: a match in which we are dominated will not change our mentality. From the first day that I am here, we have worked in a very concrete way."

Carlo Ancelotti insisted Real Madrid have not contemplated defeat in Sunday's Clasico as they fight to keep LaLiga title hopes alive.

Defeat at Camp Nou would be a devastating blow to last season's champions and leave them 12 points adrift with 12 rounds of games remaining.

Head coach Ancelotti told his players to treat Barcelona "as a lion, not as a cat", predicting even he would be nervous about entering their den, but he pledged Madrid would go on the attack.

Italian boss Ancelotti has won three of his seven LaLiga meetings against Barcelona, losing the other four. He can become the fifth Real Madrid coach to win four or more Clasicos in LaLiga, after Miguel Munoz (12), Francisco Bru (5), Luis Molowny (5) and Zinedine Zidane (4).

If he and Madrid fall short, many will see the title race as being effectively over. Ancelotti is not so sure, but that is because he has not allowed defeat to enter his mind.

"I don't know, we didn't think about that," he said. "We thought about winning. If we don't win, we'll think about it.

"We have to see Barca as a lion, not as a cat. If we see them as a cat, it seems like we are going to a party. We are going to play against a great team, and it's an important game.

"In these games there's always fear, of course, but that's normal. It's fear, nerves. For me, the two hours before kick-off are the worst."

Barcelona won 1-0 against Madrid at the start of March in the Copa del Rey. That success at the Santiago Bernabeu came despite the visitors having just 35.2 per cent of possession, and a second leg of that semi-final is still to come at Camp Nou on April 5.

In LaLiga alone, Barcelona have had nine 1-0 wins this season, the most they have ever had in a single league campaign. Once they get a lead, they dig in their claws and fight to protect their prey.

This is business time in Spain, and Madrid and Barcelona are used to meeting each other at this stage of a season, as the destination of the trophies is scrapped over.

Should Madrid win on Sunday, the deficit would be down to six points and seeds of doubt might be planted into Barcelona minds.

Madrid's best chance of a trophy still probably lies in the competition where they are the undoubted lions and 14-times winners: the Champions League. A last-eight clash with Chelsea awaits them in that competition.

"The data shows we have a disadvantage in the Copa and in LaLiga, and where we don't have it is in the Champions League," Ancelotti said. "Anything can happen. We want to reduce the disadvantage in LaLiga."

For the Clasico, Ancelotti has told his players to "enjoy the moment, be the protagonists", saying they can win the defensive and attacking battles.

"Tomorrow we will play offensively, yes," he added. "Offensively, but without risks.

"We have the plan, the two teams know each other very well. We have no secrets."

Frenkie de Jong described Barcelona as the "team of my dreams" and reiterated his intention is to remain with the Blaugrana for the foreseeable future.

Netherlands star De Jong was the subject of one of the biggest sagas of European football's summer transfer window.

Manchester United were reportedly keen on bringing De Jong to Old Trafford for a reunion with his former Ajax boss Erik ten Hag, while it was said Barca were keen to cash in and help alleviate some of their financial issues.

A move failed to materialise, but rumours persist that United will launch a fresh bid for the 25-year-old at the end of the season.

However, speaking to TV3, De Jong seemingly remains unmoved in his desire to stay at Camp Nou, a stadium where renovation work will take place until 2026 – the same year De Jong's contract is due to expire.

"Hopefully I can play in the new Camp Nou. Barcelona has always been the club of my dreams and I want to stay here for many years," De Jong said.

"For me, the Camp Nou is the most beautiful stadium in the world. The plans for the stadium are very good. To continue here for many years. Barca is the team of my dreams."

De Jong's immediate focus is on Sunday's Clasico clash against Real Madrid at Camp Nou, where a victory would leave Xavi's men 12 points clear of Los Blancos.

"Playing in a Clasico is a very difficult feeling to explain," De Jong added.

"When I was a child, I dreamed of doing it with Barca and now I can do it. It's a very important game for the fans and also for the players, a game that can decide a league."

After coming through part one of a huge week unscathed – albeit with Karim Benzema suffering an injury scare – Real Madrid now turn focus to a huge showdown with fierce rivals Barcelona at Camp Nou.

While the odds were massively stacked in Madrid's favour when protecting a 5-2 lead in their Champions League last-16 tie with Liverpool, going through 6-2 aggregate winners, the opposite is true in their LaLiga title battle with Barca.

Madrid have struggled for consistency domestically and are nine points adrift of the leaders with 12 rounds of games to play after this weekend. Put simply, it is win-or-bust for Los Blancos' outside title hopes.

Carlo Ancelotti's side have a great recent record against their Clasico foes in the league but, regardless of Sunday's result, is it already too late in terms of getting their LaLiga campaign back on track?

Stats Perform looks at how the two sides are shaping up heading into their fourth of five meetings this season, and whether Madrid have any realistic chance of catching Barca.
 

Camp Nou the fortress

Madrid have dropped points too frequently this campaign, particularly away from home. Indeed, they have won just three of their past seven league games outside of the Bernabeu, failing to win back-to-back since October.

Barcelona, by comparison, have won four in a row at Camp Nou without conceding and have taken 32 points from a possible 36 at home this campaign.

Only Paris Saint-Germain can boast a better home record across Europe's top five leagues, collecting three points more than Barca, albeit having played one game more.

On the face of it, then, Los Blancos have their work cut out picking up a point this weekend, never mind the three points they desperately need. 

But Madrid have won five of their past six league games against Barca, including their past two visits to Camp Nou – only once before, between January 1963 and February 1965, have they won three in a row there in the competition.

This Barcelona side is a lot different to the ones Madrid faced in those past two seasons, though, as was clear to see in their two recent cup encounters.

The Catalans claimed a 3-1 win in the Supercopa de Espana final in January and a 1-0 win in their Copa del Rey semi-final first leg two weeks ago, with the second leg at Camp Nou to come in early April.

Those 1-0 wins are something they have become accustomed to in the league, too, with nine of their 21 victories coming by that scoreline – more than they have ever recorded in a full season.

Xavi's side have found a way to break down and see out wins against any type of opponent, and their four-year wait for a league title is surely therefore coming to an end.
 

Madrid far from majestic

Opta's prediction model certainly suggests as much, giving Barca a 93.2 per cent chance of finishing top and Madrid just a 6.7 per cent likelihood of overhauling their great rivals.

However, given the six-point swing on the line on Sunday, those figures could change fairly drastically should the visitors win again at Camp Nou.

That is why this meeting is so important to both Barca and Madrid; effectively the final chance for any sort of jeopardy to be injected into the title tussle between Spain's biggest two clubs.

But not only will Los Blancos have to beat Barca, they will realistically have to string together a long run of wins and require Xavi's men to drop at least six more points. 

On the four occasions Barca have dropped points this season, they have responded with winning streaks of seven, five, seven and two, with this latest run still ongoing. 

Madrid, meanwhile, have not put together a winning run of more than four games in the league since mid-October, losing to the likes of Rayo Vallecano, Real Mallorca and Villarreal since then.
 

So you're telling me there's a chance?

Ancelotti has repeatedly vowed Madrid will fight Barca all the way, while opposite number Xavi has predicted the title race may go the distance.

In the long history of LaLiga, though, no team has ever led by as many as nine points at this stage and not gone on to win the title.

But if Madridistas are after a crumb of comfort, there have been two occasions of a team squandering a lead of six points or more after 26 games, which would be the scenario the sides find themselves in if Madrid win.

One such instance will be all too familiar to those Madrid fans, with their side failing to finish top when eight points clear of eventual champions Valencia in the 2003-04 campaign.

The other occasion was 42 years ago when Real Sociedad, six points behind heading into the final stretch, overtook Atletico Madrid to land the title.

Effectively, then, Madrid must win at the home of their biggest rivals or else they will be tasked with achieving something that has never before happened in the Spanish top flight.

The odds may not be in their favour, but if last season's run to Champions League glory taught us anything, it's that you can never write this Real Madrid side off.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta believes a conspiracy is at the root of allegations the club are facing over payments to a company owned by a former top referee.

A corruption complaint was filed last week by Spanish prosecutors against Barcelona, concerning payments allegedly made to a business run by Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira.

Negreira, once a top match official, was latterly vice-president of Spain's Technical Committee of Referees (CTA).

It has been claimed the total payments from Barcelona exceeded €7million, dating from 2001 to 2018. Newspaper El Pais last month reported Enriquez Negreira's company – DASNIL 95 SL – produced written reports and DVD assessments of referees for Barcelona prior to games.

Real Madrid have said they are ready to appear at any trial that stems from the investigation, and with remarkable timing there is a Clasico coming up on Sunday, with Barcelona at home to Madrid.

Laporta addressed supporters on Friday, telling them to trust Barcelona's side of the story.

"This Sunday we have a great game," Laporta said. "I ask you to come to cheer on the team more than ever. We have a great opportunity to get closer to our goal this season, which is to win the league. A great opportunity."

Barcelona lead the way in LaLiga by nine points from defending champions Madrid.

"The campaign we are suffering is not by chance, you all know this," Laporta said of the allegations. "Its objective is, in the short term, to destabilise the team, and in the medium term to control Barca. I will have time and I want to explain to you who, why and how they want to orchestrate this campaign.

"Have no doubt that we will defend ourselves. And we will not only defend ourselves, we will attack. But now we must be focused on encouraging the team this Sunday because, as I told you, their first objective is to destabilise the team."

Laporta offered no clarity regarding who he believes might be out to destabilise the club, and why they would have that motivation.

He told fans: "We have to focus on encouraging the team, our players, our coaches, so that they win the game. I think that we should not be focused on other aspects that could divert the attention of our players from concentrating on the game to win it. Because it is essential.

"Therefore, come this Sunday to cheer on the team more than ever. Let's encourage Barca because we love Barca. Long live Barca."

Jordi Alba is the most notable omission from Luis de la Fuente's first Spain squad, joining Barcelona team-mates Ferran Torres, Ansu Fati and Eric Garcia in missing their Euro 2024 qualifiers against Norway and Scotland.

Former under-21 boss De la Fuente took charge of the senior team after last year's World Cup, with Luis Enrique leaving the role after a surprise last-16 exit against Morocco.

Senior players Sergio Busquets and Sergio Ramos have stepped away from international football since that tournament, with the latter doing so after being overlooked for La Roja's trip to Qatar.

Alba – who started three of Spain's four games at the World Cup – is the biggest name to be left out by De la Fuente, with fellow Barcelona left-back Alejandro Balde getting the nod.

Blaugrana midfielders Gavi and Pedri made the cut, but their club team-mates Torres, Fati and Garcia have joined Alba in being omitted.

Osasuna defender David Garcia and Espanyol's 32-year-old striker Joselu are the two uncapped players in the 26-man party, which will meet up in Malaga before facing Norway there next Saturday.

Spain then travel to Hampden Park to take on Scotland three days later, with Cyprus and Georgia the other teams drawn alongside La Roja in Group A.

Spain squad: Kepa Arrizabalaga (Chelsea), Robert Sanchez (Brighton and Hove Albion), David Raya (Brentford); Jose Gaya (Valencia), Alejandro Balde (Barcelona), Aymeric Laporte (Manchester City), Inigo Martinez (Athletic Bilbao), Nacho Fernandez (Real Madrid), David Garcia (Osasuna), Pedro Porro (Tottenham), Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid); Rodri (Manchester City); Martin Zubimendi (Real Sociedad), Mikel Merino (Mikel Merino), Gavi (Barcelona) Fabian Ruiz (Paris Saint-Germain), Dani Ceballos (Real Madrid), Pedri (Barcelona); Nico Williams (Athletic Bilbao) Alvaro Morata (Atletico Madrid), Dani Olmo (RB Leipzig), Bryan Gil (Sevilla), Mikel Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad), Joselu (Espanyol), Iago Aspas (Celta Vigo).