Barcelona have "maximum" motivation for the Clasico, according to Xavi, who has urged the Blaugrana to "be brave and show personality" when they face Real Madrid on Sunday.

The two LaLiga heavyweights have set the early pace this season, with Barca edging their great rivals thanks to a superior goal difference after both earned 22 points from eight matches.

Those unbeaten records will be on the line when they go head-to-head at Santiago Bernabeu, where Xavi masterminded a stunning 4-0 victory in his first LaLiga Clasico as a coach back in March.

Tata Martino, in 2014, was the last Barca coach to win his first two Clasicos in LaLiga.

Former midfielder Xavi appeared in 42 Clasicos as a player – a tally only bettered by Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos (both 45) – and enjoyed 17 victories with Barca while racking up five goals and eight assists.

Knowing exactly what is required in this fixture, he issued a rallying cry in his news conference on Saturday.

"I would like to remain a footballer to play these types of matches. It's spectacular to play such a game," Xavi said.

"This is where you have to stand up and be counted; as a coach, too. Everyone watches the Clasico and everyone's up for it. The motivation is maximum, it is an opportunity to come out more leaders of the competition.

"We need to play as a unit; we need to be compact, we need to be brave and show personality. The proof of [what you can achieve] is very clear; [look at] last year's game.

"The impact on morale if we come out of a game like this with a good result would be significant. But it's still early. We're still building; we need to keep going."

Xavi revealed left-back Marcos Alonso could partner Eric Garcia in the heart of defence as Barca look to keep Madrid's attacking options at bay, including seven-goal top scorer Vinicius Junior.

But when asked about combating Vinicius' threat, the Blaugrana coach insisted his side were not only concerned about the in-form Brazil international.

"It's not just Vinícius that we have to stop; it's also [Karim] Benzema, Rodrygo, [Federico] Valverde," Xavi added. "They're a competitive team who get the best out of their players.

"It's a huge game. It's not about how we stop Vinícius; it's about how we stop Madrid."

Frenkie de Jong says president Joan Laporta put him under pressure to leave Barcelona but he had no intention of moving.

De Jong was strongly linked with a move to Manchester United during the last transfer window as Barca tried to offload players after splashing out on the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Jules Kounde.

The Netherlands midfielder, who was also said to be a target for Paris Saint-Germain, made it clear he wanted to remain at Camp Nou.

De Jong knew the Catalan giants were eager for him to depart, but he was not affected by so much talk about his future.

He told Ziggo Sport: "I was calm. I decided in May that I wanted to stay. My opinion has never changed during this entire period. I stayed calm.

"But then you know the pressure would start to come...from the newspapers, from the president, from everywhere. But I wanted to stay at Barca so it never bothered me."

Former Ajax man De Jong has made only four starts for Barca this season, but hopes to be included in the side for the Clasico clash at Real Madrid on Sunday. 

He added: "I knew that he [Xavi] would play fewer minutes at the beginning of the season. I want to be a starter again. I hope to be against Real Madrid.

"Maybe he [Xavi] has already decided, but normally we don't know until the day of the game.

"Of course we are disappointed after the game against Inter, but we have to change our state of mind. We have to show that we are still a good team."

Real Madrid will be without Thibaut Courtois for a Clasico clash that Carlo Ancelotti says is not "life or death".

Courtois has been sidelined with sciatica, but Ancelotti this week stated he hoped his goalkeeper would return against Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday.

Los Blancos head coach Ancelotti on Saturday revealed the Belgium international will not feature in a mouthwatering battle between the top two in LaLiga.

"Courtois is quite well, he feels fine. [But] he has trained very little and is not comfortable," said the Italian. "He is out for tomorrow.

"He will train more continuously next week. W''ll see for next Wednesday or Sunday, he just needs training."

Andriy Lunin is set to deputise for the former Atletico Madrid and Chelsea keeper once again.

Meanwhile, centre-back Antonio Rudiger will face Barca wearing a mask after he required stitches due to the clash of heads he suffered while scoring a late equaliser in the midweek Champions League draw against Shakhtar Donetsk.

Madrid and fierce rivals Barca are level on points with seven wins from eight LaLiga matches, with Xavi's side top on goal difference.

The champions have won five of the past six Clasico showdowns, but the Catalan giants hammered them 4-0 in their last meeting in the capital in March.

Despite the fine margins in the league table, Ancelotti says it is not essential to come out on top when they lock horns for the first time this season.

He said: "I haven't shown the players any videos to motivate them. They know their opponents well and last year's game won't affect it. This is another competition and another year.

"We hope to play a game that the whole world is going to see, and we want to show a good image and try to win it for our fans.

"It's a special game, but not life or death. The season is very long. Although it's clear that we would like to win."

Ronaldo has revealed he is in therapy following a battle with depression as the Brazil great bemoaned the way mental health problems were "absolutely ignored" during his playing days.

The former PSV, Barcelona, Inter and Real Madrid superstar was widely recognised as one of the finest players of his generation.

Ronaldo went to four World Cups with Brazil and won both the Golden Boot and the Silver Ball in their 2002 success, having played no part in the Selecao's 1994 triumph.

But he remarkably only won two domestic league titles (both in LaLiga with Madrid) as his career was hampered by injuries.

In a new documentary on DAZN, Ronaldo discussed mental health in football with former Madrid and Brazil team-mate Roberto Carlos.

And 'O Fenomeno' was asked further about his own struggles in an interview with Marca, confirming he had suffered from depression.

"Today I am in therapy," Ronaldo said. "I have been in therapy for two and a half years, and I understand myself much better than before.

"But then again, I'm from a generation in which you were thrown into the arena and you had to do your best without the slightest hint of drama.

"I look back, and I see that yes, we were exposed to a very, very big mental strain and without any preparation for it.

"Also because it was the beginning of the internet era, with the speed at which information travels. At that time, there was no concern about the mental health of the players.

"Today players are much better prepared, they are given the medical attention they need to face the day to day, and players are studied more: the profiles of each player, how they react, how they should react.

"In my time, there was none of that, unfortunately, because we have known all our lives that soccer can cause a lot of stress and be very decisive for the rest of our lives."

He added: "The reality is that we didn't even know this kind of problem existed. It was absolutely ignored among our generation.

"Many, obviously, have gone through terrible times, even depression, because of the lack of privacy, the lack of freedom.

"It is true that the problems were very obvious, but the solutions were not very available."

Fresh from winning the Champions League last season, Real Madrid stand unbeaten across all competitions in 2022-23, earning 11 wins from 13 matches.

Safe passage to the knockout stages of Europe's elite competition for Carlo Ancelotti's side comes alongside fine form in LaLiga, where Madrid sit second, only behind arch-rivals Barcelona on goal difference.

Neither have lost domestically this season, though Barcelona's endeavours in the Champions League have been somewhat less impressive, leaving the situation delicately poised ahead of Sunday's El Clasico at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The time of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi shining in the fixture has long since passed, so the stage is set for the headlines to be grabbed by a new star and Madrid will look to Vinicius Junior to provide the edge.

Leading the line

With Karim Benzema's injury issues this season, Vinicius has stepped up to score seven goals and register three assists in all competitions, with a total of 10 goal involvements being the highest of any member of the squad.

Firmly established as one of the first names in Ancelotti's line-up, Vinicius has started all but one of Madrid's games this season, coming off the bench in Tuesday's 1-1 draw against Shakhtar Donetsk, with a total of 1079 minutes ranking him highest in that regard – missing just 91 minutes of Los Blancos' entire season.

Reliability in the final third has also been key, with Vinicius boasting 68.8 per cent shooting accuracy, behind only Dani Ceballos, and a 17.1 per cent conversion rate – the highest of any Madrid player with at least 30 attempts, while also significantly higher than the team average of 9.1 per cent.

Vinicius is also above the average for players across Europe's top five leagues in all competitions for those with at least 30 attempts this season, which stands at 15.4 per cent, and is high above team-mate Benzema, who has a conversion rate of 9.1 per cent.

Threat lacking substance

With the ball, Vinicius consistently puts the opposition under threat. The 22-year-old boasts 45 dribbles completed this season, sitting way ahead of his team-mates in that regard, with compatriot Rodrygo ranking second (16).

Vinicius also lays claim to the highest number of take-on attempts across Europe's top five leagues this season (70) but a success rate of 36 per cent is the third-worst for players with at least 50 attempts so far this term.

Often, Vinicius' take-ons lack a decisive impact, with only one resulting in a goal and an expected assists (xA) of just 0.03 in that regard. Only twice has a take-on seen Vinicius drive into the box, showing that the areas where take-ons are completed are not generally in positions to influence the game.

Improving in that area would likely result in an increased total of goals and assists, which may propel his numbers to be comparable with the highest calibre of players in Europe.

Core involvement

While Vinicius still has areas to improve, the influence of the Brazilian upon the Madrid squad is telling. No member of the squad has been involved in more sequences resulting in goals than Vinicius (7, tied with Aurelien Tchouameni), and he is also involved in more attacking sequences than any other player (352).

That shows Vinicius is involved in most of Madrid's attacking moves this season and displays the influential role he has, with the capability to improve even further if he increases his output in front of goal.

The absence of Benzema does affect that, though, with Vinicius creating 20 chances this season, tied with Toni Kroos for the most among Madrid's squad, and two assists. On five occasions, Vinicius' passes into the box have led to a high expected assists value, though the subsequent chances have not been taken.

While the lack of a central striker to take those opportunities has not affected Ancelotti's side so far this season, it is in the bigger games, like against Barcelona, where it could have a negative impact upon the final result.

Vinicius has stepped up in Benzema's absence but cannot provide the same impact in front of goal from his wide-left position, needing a central player to fill those gaps. With Benzema set to be available against Barcelona, it could be bad news for Xavi's side.

Reports have surfaced that Joao Felix is unhappy at Atletico Madrid having fallen out of favour in recent games.

Atletico have reportedly moved to reiterate that they do not want to sell the Portuguese, who it is claimed has requested a January move.

Joao Felix joined the Colchoneros on a seven-year deal in 2019 from Benfica for a fee of €126 million.

TOP STORY – PSG AND BARCA KEEN ON JOAO FELIX

Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona are both considering moves to sign wantaway Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix.

AS claims PSG are weighing up a move for the 22-year-old as they make plans for the potential departure of Lionel Messi at the end of this season.

El Nacional reports that Barcelona are in the race for the Portuguese too, as they fear Ousmane Dembele will exit. A Bola has also linked Manchester United with Joao Felix.

ROUND-UP

– Barcelona want to sell Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong in the near future to raise funds to invest in the squad according to Sport. De Jong was linked with Manchester United over the off-season.

– The same Sport report claims that Barcelona are set to release long-term duo Gerard Pique and Jordi Alba to free up funds too.

– Real Madrid are targeting Bayern Munich's Canada international Alphonso Davies, claims Marca. Los Blancos are eager to bolster their left-back options and are monitoring Davies.

– Inter are looking to sign on-loan Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku permanently, while the Nerazzurri are also interested in Everton's Yerry Mina claims Calciomercato.

–​ Barcelona will rival Real Madrid in pursuit of Inter's Italy international forward Nicolo Barella, reports Calciomercatoweb.

–​ Newcastle United are keen to lock down Brazilian midfielder Bruno Guimaraes on a new long-term deal before the end of this season, reports 90min.

Joan Laporta has told Barcelona fans to "keep believing" as they head into El Clasico on Sunday looking to hit back from a midweek Champions League disappointment.

A 3-3 draw with Inter on Wednesday was a blow to Barca's hopes of reaching the round of 16, but a win against Real Madrid in one of the most anticipated fixtures in world football would be a perfect response.

The fierce rivals head into the match level on points, with the Catalan giants top of LaLiga by virtue of their superior goal difference.

Barca president Laporta urged supporters to maintain their faith in Xavi and his players, telling BarcaTV: "Keep believing. We have a very competitive team, with very good players who are going to bring you a lot of joy.

"Stick behind Xavi, he needs your warmth and confidence. That's what we will give him and we hope the fans do too.

"I have my full faith in Xavi and his staff, and also with the players. We have a great squad and I'm sure they'll bring us a lot of joy. We have a team to compete against anyone in Europe.

"We'll get through this. We won't ever stop working for what we want. This club has had all kinds of ups and downs over the years, but we have always bounced back. And we can still do that, from every part of the club."

Laporta acknowledged just how important Sunday's fixture could be in the title race, adding: "We're top of the league and there's a big game on the way at the Bernabeu.

"El Clasico is very important, whoever wins get a huge injection of morale and the loser takes a mighty blow. It's the kind of game you want to see. We'll go there with our heads held high. We have a team to do things there.

"I hope the players will defend the Barca shirt with the right spirit, because whenever you get knocked down, you have to pick yourself up again. We want to show how good we are and that we can win the league."

Laporta spoke of his frustration at not securing a win over Inter that would have put their chances of progressing in their own hands.

"It was a big game for us and I am sad and angry that we didn't win despite scoring three goals," Laporta said.

"It was always going to be a difficult group. We should have got a better result in Munich because we were the better team.

"And the refereeing in Milan was scandalous. We shouldn't play the victims card, but we were very unhappy with the match officials, and I spoke to UEFA about it afterwards.

"Financially, missing out on the latter stages of the Champions League is a big blow."

Gennaro Gattuso expects Nico Gonzalez to remain at Valencia for the rest of the season, despite reports suggesting Barcelona are considering recalling the midfielder.

Nico left Camp Nou on loan in search of regular minutes in August but has struggled to nail down a first-team spot with Valencia. 

Although Valencia have made a decent start to their first campaign under Gattuso, winning four of their first eight LaLiga games, the 20-year-old has played a limited role.

Nico has made seven league appearances this season, but five of those outings have come from the bench, meaning he has featured for just 231 minutes in the competition.

With Barcelona enduring an injury crisis, reports in Spain have suggested the Blaugrana could cut Nico's loan short in January, but Gattuso has called for him to force his way into Valencia's team instead.

"This is the first time I've heard of it. No player has spoken to me," Gattuso told reporters on Friday. "He is working very well. He has a one-year contract with us. The player has not come to talk to me.

"All the players want to be starters and I think he should work well on the field, and when he has the opportunity to play, show it. 

"He is a great professional. He trains very well but I have a squad of 23 or 24 players. He is a kid who always trains fully."

Pedri says it is "not possible" to emulate Barcelona legend's Lionel Messi's achievements as he prepares to face fierce rivals Real Madrid in El Clasico.

Barca teenager Pedri has emerged as one of world football's most talented prospects, showing maturity way beyond his years with majestic performances in the middle of the park.

The 19-year-old Spain midfielder looks set for a long, successful career and Xavi will be expecting him to step up on the big stage again when the Blaugrana face LaLiga champions Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday.

Pedri has high hopes for what he can achieve, but believes it is too much to ask that he will emulate the feats of the mercurial seven-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi.

"I hope so," Pedri replied when asked if he would like to be named the best player in the world as many times as Messi has. "I know how hard I need to work to try to do something like that.

"There is only one Messi, however, and I think to repeat what he did is not possible."

Pedri is relishing the challenge of facing Madrid, with Barca above Carlo Ancelotti's side on goal difference at the top of the table.

"It’s a match where a lot of people watch from around the world," he said. "It's a match that I always try to enjoy and hope all the people watching enjoy too. This is why we play football – to entertain everyone and to have fun.

"I used to go to watch the games [against Madrid] with my parents and a lot of Barcelona fans. We used to be very lucky in that we won a lot of times. That's why we enjoyed it even more with each other."

- Pedri was speaking as a global brand ambassador for TCL.

Barcelona will wear a limited-edition jersey donning the logo of rapper and singer Drake during Sunday's El Clasico against Real Madrid.

The idea stems from Barca's relationship with audio streaming subscription service Spotify, whose branding usually appears on the front of the Blaugrana's shirts and who own the naming rights to Camp Nou.

But rather than Spotify branding on jerseys this weekend, Barca will instead sport Drake's 'OVO Sound' logo – essentially the silhouette of an owl.

It is a move designed to celebrate Drake becoming the first artist to break the 50 billion streams barrier on Spotify.

The four-time Grammy winner's achievement was not recent, however, with the Canadian reaching the 50 billion mark in January 2021.

In addition to his logo featuring on Barca jerseys throughout the game, Xavi's team will also wear a special version during their warm-up, with 'DRAKE 50' on the back – the usual Spotify brand will appear on the front of this shirt.

Barcelona travel to the Santiago Bernabeu as LaLiga leaders, but they are only ahead of bitter rivals Madrid on goal difference after both teams won seven and drew the other in their first eight games of the season.

Joao Felix is increasingly frustrated with life at Atletico Madrid after dropping out of the starting XI in recent games.

The 22-year-old Portuguese is yet to score for the side in LaLiga or the Champions League this season and was an unused substitute in the midweek 0-0 draw with Club Brugge.

Atleti boss Diego Simeone has preferred Antoine Griezmann, Alvaro Morata, Matheus Cunha and Angel Correa in attack recently.

TOP STORY – JOAO FELIX WANTS ATLETICO EXIT

Joao Felix has requested to leave Atletico Madrid in January, reports Fichajes.

The forward is frustrated that he has been used sparingly, largely outside the starting XI this term.

Joao Felix's contract runs until 2026 and it will likely require a hefty fee to sign him from Atleti, who paid €126 million for him in 2019.

Relevo claims that Atleti are not considering selling the Portuguese any time soon.

ROUND-UP

– ​ Frenkie de Jong is growing frustrated at his lack of first-team opportunities at Barcelona and will look to exit the club in January should the situation not improve, claims SPORT. De Jong was at the centre of a drawn-out off-season saga, amid links to Manchester United.

– Granit Xhaka will earn a contract extension at Arsenal, reports Football Insider. Xhaka, who is out of contract in 2024, has been in top form this term and will be rewarded after the World Cup.

– Chelsea have an interest in RB Leipzig's Austria international midfielder Konrad Laimer, reports Bild. Laimer is out of contract at the end of this season and the Blues will look to sign him for free if he is not sold in January.

– Chelsea along with Arsenal are now also keen on pursuing Rennes winger Jeremy Doku, claims Fichajes. The 20-year-old is already being chased by Liverpool, Napoli and Juventus.

– Bild also claims Chelsea are monitoring versatile Bayern Munich defender Benjamin Pavard.

– The Telegraph reports Thomas Tuchel is interested in the England managerial role should Gareth Southgate depart after this year's World Cup. The German has reportedly declined two Premier League jobs since leaving Chelsea last month.

Roma head coach Jose Mourinho mocked clubs qualifying for the Europa League knockout stages via the backdoor as 'the failed sharks of the Champions League'.

Mourinho's side are in a battle to reach the knockout stages via Group C after a 1-1 draw at Real Betis left them third on four points, behind the Spaniards (10) and Ludogorets (seven). Roma will still hope to overhaul Ludogorets and advance with two games to play in the group.

The draw, however, meant Betis were assured of reaching the next stage and Mourinho was asked if they were the Europa League favourites, leading him to implicitly goad teams like Barcelona and Juventus.

"I see them [Betis] as candidates, but the failed sharks of the Champions League will arrive, and they will come in hard," Mourinho said, referring to sides who drop into the Europa League after finishing third in their Champions League groups.

"They shouldn't come but it's the reality. It's going to be fun. The failures of the Champions League."

Among the clubs currently third in Champions League groups are Barcelona, Juventus, Ajax, Atletico Madrid and Milan.

Should Roma fail to finish in the top two in Group C, they will qualify for the Conference League where they will defend the title they won under Mourinho last season.

The Portuguese added: "We want to go through and finish second, but if we finish third, we'll become candidates to retain the Conference League."

Barcelona defender Jules Kounde has returned to training in a huge fitness boost for Xavi's side ahead of this weekend's showdown with Real Madrid

The 23-year-old has not played for Barca since their 3-0 win over Elche on September 17 after sustaining a thigh injury while on international duty with France.

Barca did not give a timeline for Kounde's comeback, but head coach Xavi indicated earlier this week the centre-back had a chance of featuring against Madrid on Sunday.

And the former Sevilla man was involved in training at Ciutat Esportiva on Thursday to somewhat ease the Catalan giants' injury issues.

As well as being without Kounde, who has started five times for Barca since being officially registered in late August, the likes of Memphis Depay, Franck Kessie, Andreas Christensen, Hector Bellerin and Ronald Araujo have also been sidelined.

Xavi's side drew 3-3 draw with Inter on Wednesday to leave their Champions League hopes hanging by a threat, but they are level on points with Madrid at the LaLiga summit after winning seven league games in a row, keeping a clean sheet in six of those.

Robert Lewandowski admits Barcelona forgot how to defend in their 3-3 Champions League draw with Inter on Wednesday as they were so focused on scoring.

Barcelona realistically required victory in their Group C encounter with Inter at Camp Nou to remain in with a shot of avoiding an early elimination for the second season running.

However, Nicola Barella and Lautaro Martinez struck after Ousmane Dembele had given Barca a half-time lead, before Lewandowski levelled up with a deflected shot.

Xavi's men went all out for a winner and were caught out by Robin Gosens late on, though Lewandowski's second goal did at least keep them in the competition for now.

Inter are three points better off than Barcelona and can eliminate the Catalan giants from the competition with a home win against pointless Viktoria Plzen in two weeks' time.

Lewandowski took his tally to 14 goals in all competitions this term – only Erling Haaland has scored more in Europe's top five leagues – but it was a day of disappointment. 

"We wanted to score so much that we forgot about the defence," the Poland international told Movistar+. "Inter got through on goal too easily and often had a man over in attack.

"We've had a lot of injuries in recent weeks and it's not easy to change the line-up all the time. We've lacked stability and that maybe explains the situation.

"Inter are tough opponents for any striker. They defend with five players and also have a defensive midfielder. 

"We tried to attack with many players but it meant we lost coverage. We scored three goals but conceded the same amount. We were disappointed not to get the win."

The high-scoring draw with Inter was only the fourth time in their Champions League history Barca have conceded three goals in the second half of a game.

It also marked the first time in six visits to Camp Nou in the competition Inter have avoided defeat, paving the way for the Nerazzurri to wrap up qualification at Barca's expense.

Gosens, the scorer of the visitors' third goal, told Inter TV: "This was a match between two sides that wanted to win. We showed we have the right spirit to do well at Camp Nou.

"This is one of the most important stadiums in the world and not everybody comes away from here with a point. We stayed in the game and played like a real Inter side.

"This result must now stimulate the team to give even more. We know we've hurt a team like Barca and this must encourage us to do even more."

Real Madrid had a drawn-out pursuit of Kylian Mbappe earlier this year but ultimately missed out on the France forward.

Mbappe opted to sign a lucrative contract extension with Paris Saint-Germain in May, tying him to the Parisians until 2025.

But earlier this week, Fabrizio Romano reported the situation between PSG and Mbappe had got tense, with the player keen to depart.

TOP STORY – MADRID MOVE ON FROM MBAPPE AMID TRANSFER TWIST

Marca claims that Real Madrid are no longer have interest in signing Mbappe amid reports that he is unsettled at PSG and wants to leave.

The report claims that Los Blancos are observing the situation from afar with no desire to participate in the latest drama.

Romano also said PSG had no intention of selling Mbappe in January amid the speculation he wanted out. PSG director Luis Campos denied the report on Tuesday.

ROUND-UP

– Bayern Munich will turn to Borussia Monchengladbach forward Marcus Thuram should they fail to land Tottenham's Harry Kane , reports TZ. Thuram's Gladbach deal ends at the end of this season.

– Sky Sport's Florian Plettenberg reports that Toni Kroos and Real Madrid are set to commence talks on a new deal running until 2024, with his currently deal expiring at season's end.

– Barcelona will try to lure Chelsea pair N'Golo Kante and Jorginho to Camp Nou as free agents at the end of this season, claims the Evening Standard. The Blues are currently trying to convince both to re-sign.

– 90min claims Manchester City have told Bayern Munich and Inter that defender Nathan Ake is not for sale in January, following speculation about their interest.

– West Ham have joined Roma and Manchester United in pursuing a deal for Sassuolo midfielder Davide Frattesi, according to Calciomercato.

– Football Insider reports Brentford have commenced discussions with England international striker Ivan Toney on a new deal, with Tottenham linked to him.