Joan García said Barcelona are in good form and ready for Sunday’s Clásico against Real Madrid, but he also cautioned against treating the match as a title decider this early in the season. The Barcelona goalkeeper pointed to the size of the rivalry and the current league table, where Barcelona are six points ahead of Real Madrid, but made clear that there is still a long way to go in LaLiga EA Sports.
Barcelona arrive in strong form
Barcelona go into the match with one defeat in 12 official games and a perfect league record, which gives the club a strong platform heading into one of the biggest fixtures on the calendar. García’s message, though, was straightforward: the standings matter, but they do not settle the season in October.
“Estamos bien y con ganas del partido del domingo,” García said before the Clásico. He added that “Los títulos no se deciden en octubre, y sería un error pensar que ya tenemos las cosas resueltas; respetamos a nuestro rival y aspiramos a hacer un gran partido y ganar el Clásico en nuestro estadio.”
Respect for the rivalry
García also pushed back on turning the match into a series of individual duels. He described it as “un duelo entre el Barcelona y el Madrid, no Courtois contra Joan ni Mbappé contra Lamine,” stressing that the focus should stay on the teams rather than the headlines around specific players.
That approach fits the way Barcelona have handled recent meetings with Real Madrid. Last season, Barcelona beat Real Madrid 3-2 in the Supercopa de España final, and in their last league meeting Barcelona won 2-0 to clinch the LaLiga title. Those results give Sunday’s match added weight, even if García insists it does not settle everything.
With Barcelona leading by six points, the Clásico still carries early but meaningful implications for the title race. García’s comments reflect the balance Barcelona need to strike: confidence in their form, respect for Real Madrid and an understanding that the season will not be decided by one October result.
