Barca prepare for energised Real - 7M sport

Barca prepare for energised Real



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Posted Thursday, August 18, 2011 by Supersport.com

Barca prepare for energised Real

Barcelona know they will have to cope with a frustrated but energised Real Madrid team if they hope to win their first Spanish Supercup against their fiercest rival in Wednesday's return leg of the series.

Madrid dominated Sunday's 2-2 draw and created the best scoring opportunities but the team was eventually undone by the individual talent of the Spanish champions, notably David Villa and Lionel Messi who scored Barcelona's goals in the first leg.

Barcelona will welcome a return to the Camp Nou after an uncharacteristic performance in which they failed to impose themselves through their passing game, with coach Pep Guardiola admitting on Tuesday the team was not 100 percent.

"Absolutely everything about Madrid worries me," Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola said from the Camp Nou. "If we play the same way we did it will be very difficult."

Former Real Madrid great Alfredo Di Stefano asked if the performance signaled the beginning of "Barcelona's deterioration" in his Marca sports daily column on Tuesday. As Di Stefano wondered if it might be time for Guardiola to revise his system, Guardiola labeled his team's first-leg performance "titanic" considering his entire squad had so little time to gel this summer.

"A few days ago they were better than us and although we've improved I still have the feeling they will be better than us," Guardiola, who is vying for his 11th major trophy, said. "I think we are trailing them at the moment. That game took a lot out of us."

The Catalans may at least be able to count on Cesc Fabregas, who joined his boyhood club from Arsenal on Monday, as they look to win the annual preseason matchup between the league champions and the cup winners for the first time in five tries against Madrid.

Fabregas' long-awaited return could be celebrated against Madrid, with the Spain midfielder able to slide right into the Catalan club's system since he came up through the youth ranks before his move to north London eight years ago.

"He trained (...) so he's ready (to play)," said Guardiola, who has had to juggle his lineup with Xavi Hernandez and Gerard Pique carrying injuries and Sergio Busquets only returning to practice with the team on Tuesday.

Madrid coach Jose Mourinho will make changes to the lineup used at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium with Fabio Coentrao possibly replacing Angel Di Maria on the wing. The Portuguese coach did not change his recent habit of not speaking to the Spanish media on Tuesday, however.

Mourinho again dodged the post-match news conference just as he has done since the being sanctioned for comments made after the first leg of the Champions League semifinals between the clubs in April. There seemed little to complain about from Sunday's wide-open match when both teams could be upset over potential penalty calls.

"If we play the same game we did the other day, the Supercup will be Madrid's," Mourinho's assistant Aitor Karanka said on Tuesday. "The team has to go out wanting to win. We'll try to play at the same level, like the other day, and let's hope it shows in the score."

Madrid beat three-time defending league champion Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final for Mourinho's lone trophy in his debut year at Madrid last season.



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