Madrid (AFP)

It is one of the most anticipated matches of the season and already a "final" for Zinédine Zidane: Real Madrid challenge FC Barcelona on Saturday (16:00, 14:00 GMT) for the first time in an empty Camp Nou, and the The French coach, under pressure after two consecutive defeats at home, knows he must "find the solution" quickly.

"When we play a bad match, we are not immune to being criticized, to say that we are going to + get out +": Friday at a press conference, Zidane understood the importance of this duel against the Catalan rival, counting for the 7th day of La Liga.

The former captain of the Blues, who arrived in the Spanish capital as a player in 2001, appointed coach in 2016 and then returned to his post in March 2019, is negotiating one of the most delicate turns of his coaching career.

After a defeat in La Liga against the promoted Cadiz last Saturday (1-0), the Merengues again suffered a stinging defeat against the B team of Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday (3-2) for their return to the Champions League, always home.

"I'm in charge. I'm the coach and it's up to me to find the solution. I didn't find it this (Wednesday) evening. But I feel capable of it, I will try, and the players must do the same, "Zidane promised after the setback against the Ukrainians.

- "Perfect scenario" -

Real Madrid, 3rd with 10 points, one point behind Real Sociedad, surprising leader, finds Lionel Messi and his teammates (9th, 7 pts) to play an unprecedented clasico: coronavirus pandemic requires, there will be no spectators in the largest stadium in Europe (99,000 seats).

"The least classic clasico", headlines the Catalan sports newspaper Mundo Deportivo on its front page this Saturday, while Sport awaits "the Clasico of hope" for Barça and Real, who are "On a volcano", of after As.

The perfect opportunity for "Zizou" to turn things around.

"Tomorrow (Saturday) is a perfect scenario to change our image. There will be difficult times, but this is where the big print and quality players show themselves," he said.

Will this clasico manage to get Karim Benzema (almost silent since the start of the season with only one goal in 6 matches) out of his torpor and energize the feverish defense of Real?

Possible: last year at the same period, the Madrilenians fell in Mallorca (1-0) in La Liga and came out of a series of four matches with only one victory.

Zidane played his place in Galatasaray, Turkey, in C1 ... and came out victorious (1-0).

Real Madrid then went on to an impressive series of 21 unbeaten matches in all competitions between October 19, 2019 and February 6 ... and ended up winning the Spanish Supercup and La Liga.

- Griezmann replacing -

Ironically, "ZZ" may play his future at Barça, a club entangled in a latent crisis since January, which almost lost Lionel Messi in August and whose management is still in the hot seat.

After a setback on Saturday in Getafe in La Liga (1-0), the Catalans made up for it on Tuesday against Ferencvaros (5-1) for their comeback in C1 since the humiliation received against Bayern Munich in the quarter-final of the last edition in Lisbon (8-2).

With the help of the young prodigy Ansu Fati, who will celebrate his 18th birthday on October 31, and his lieutenant Jordi Alba, holder after a right thigh injury in early October, Messi will be keen to thwart the plans of the French technician. and to end an interminable 300 days without scoring against Real Madrid.

And this, despite the absence of Antoine Griezmann, criticized by the Spanish press, and who will start this clasico on the bench to make way for the young Pedri (17 years old) on the right wing.

Zidane will be able to count on his captain Sergio Ramos, victim of a violent blow to the left knee last Saturday which deprived him of the Champions League match against Shakhtar Donetsk, but well holder on Saturday.

A victory and Real will regain the ascendancy over Barcelona and the rest of La Liga.

A defeat and Zidane can fear the worst.

© 2020 AFP