Barcelona vs. Real Madrid: Luis Enrique's Key Quotes from El Clasico Presser

Barcelona manager Luis Enrique said his players are “crazy about winning” the upcoming Clasico against Real Madrid on Saturday and summed up the significance of the rivalry by saying there is nothing that makes Catalan fans “hornier” than beating Madrid.

Enrique gave a press conference on Friday to talk about Saturday's match, and he refused to answer several other routine questions that didn't focus on the upcoming encounter, per Football Espana:

"

These types of games generate so much of a buzz that tiredness doesn’t worry me.

I’ve noticed speaking to the players that they’re crazy about winning [on Saturday].

We won’t change our way of playing. We must keep the ball for as long as possible so Madrid don’t show the quality they have.

[On the Champions League], the only important match is [Saturday].

[On Marc-Andre ter Stegen], I’m not talking about anything other than the game [on Saturday].

"

Richard Martin of the Press Association seemed to enjoy the spectacle:

The Blaugrana enter the Clasico with a 10-point lead over their rivals, who sit one point behind Atletico Madrid in the standings. Barring one of the biggest meltdowns in recent football history, the Catalans will cruise to the title, whether they beat Real on Saturday or not.

As shared by the UEFA Champions League's official Twitter account, Enrique believes defeat on Saturday would end Los Blancos' title challenge: 

The death of club legend Johan Cruyff during the international break will only push the squad harder for a result, and Enrique thinks the best way to honour the Dutchman would be on the pitch, per the club's official Twitter account:

Enrique appeared to be in a great mood during his presser, making a number of jokes and witty remarks at the reporters' expense and providing a contender for the best quote of the year, when asked to sum up the rivalry between both clubs:

One reporter tried to talk about the long journey Javier Mascherano had to take to return to Catalonia after featuring for Argentina during their 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, and he was shot down in a hurry:

Turning his attention to the tactical battle, Enrique took a look at both team's attacking trio's. Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez have powered Barcelona's title bid so far, while Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale have the talent to match their Catalan counterparts, but they haven't produced at the same level this season.

Per Enrique, the two trio's will play their part on Saturday, but the Clasico will be won by the entire team and not just the forwards:

Real need to win Saturday's clash to have any chance of catching Barcelona in the title race, and even then, it almost seems a lost cause. But the momentum the team would seize by beating the Blaugrana, who have looked close to unbeatable for months now, would be a major boost with an eye on the final stages of the Champions League.

Barcelona can approach Saturday's match without major pressure, knowing a loss wouldn't be the end of the world, but winning the Clasico is almost a trophy in itself for both sides. Don't expect this one to be any less tense and heated just because the title race is as good as over.

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