This El- Clasico Didn"t Come At The Right Time - Iniesta

Barcelona midfield supremo Andres Iniesta has described the upcoming El -Clasico which is slated for this Saturday as not ideal as some players are not yet back from the international break.

In a press conference after Wednesday training session the midfielder told reporters that “of course [playing El Clásico after the international break] it’s not the ideal situation, it’s not the best to not be able to have players back until Thursday or Friday, but it’s a normal situation when there are international breaks”.

The 31  year old also emphasized that many times the Clasico has coincided with internationals.

” it’s not the best scene, but those who’ve been with their national teams have been competing, while those that have stayed here have been recovering. It is what it is, there’s nothing more to it,” – he added.

Barcelona are nine points clear off their rivals and a win on Saturday will cement their grasp on the La Liga tittle.

This El- Clasico Didn"t Come At The Right Time - Iniesta

Barcelona vs Real Madrid: El Clasico In Numbers

Sportscrusader.com previews the world’s most watched football match from the most booked player to the number of goals scored by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. 

We take a look at some of the key stats ahead of the Camp Nou meeting on Saturday.

0 – Clasicos Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane has presided over compared with three for his Barca counterpart Luis Enrique – a 3-1 defeat at the Bernabeu and a 2-1 win at the Nou Camp last season and also the 4-0 thrashing at the Bernabeu this season under ex-manager Rafa Benitez.

19 – The number of cards the fixture’s most booked player, former Real and Spain defender Fernando Hierro, collected in official Clasicos (18 yellow and one red). Real’s current centre back Sergio Ramos has 15 yellow cards and two red.

21 – The number of goals scored by Barca’s Argentina forward Lionel Messi in his 30 Clasicos, a record for the fixture. Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo has netted 15 in 23 Clasicos for Real.
29 – The combined total of Clasico appearances made by Luis Enrique for Real (1991-96) and Barca (1996-2004).

31 – The number of Clasico appearances made by Barcelona playmaker Andres Iniesta, the most among active players from either side and one more than Ramos and Messi.

79 – The number of Clasicos former Real goalkeeper Iker Casillas (37) and former Barca midfielder Xavi (42) played between them. Saturday’s match will not feature either for the first time in a decade and a half.

230 – The number of official Clasicos played since the pair’s first encounter in the last four of the Spanish Cup in 1902, which Barca won 3-1.

389 – The number of goals Real have scored in official Clasicos, 15 more than Barca.

500 million – The number of soccer fans around the world who will watch the Clasico, according to an estimate by the professional soccer league (La Liga).

719 million – The market value in euros ($765 million) of Real Madrid’s squad while Barca’s is worth 658 million euros.

Barcelona vs Real Madrid: El Clasico In Numbers