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Madrid (AP) - Karim Benzema didn't even bother to downplay the importance of the game.
"For me and everyone, it's the greatest game in the world," said the Real Madrid striker.
For the French and his team, the highlight of the season is on Saturday (9 p.m. / DAZN): The Clásico, the clash between Real and FC Barcelona, the game that electrifies Spanish football fans.
"Clásicos are games that everyone watches from an early age, and I feel lucky that I can play them," said Benzema, who has been under contract in Madrid since 2009.
Barcelona's young star Pedri made his Clásico debut last October with a 3-1 defeat that was unpleasant for the Catalans.
His second duel and the 246th overall should end with a revenge.
Clásico as such is a very important game because it means so much to the fans, said the 18-year-old midfielder.
"We'll try to get three points, that would be really important for us."
Because in addition to prestige, it is also about the title fight in the Spanish Primera División behind league leaders Atlético Madrid.
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A victory for the Catalans over Los Blancos is always a triumph in itself, which for the fans is more than any other success.
It's not just about football, but also about the cultural and political rivalry between the two largest cities in Spain and between Catalonia, which is striving for independence, and the country's capital.
But both Barça with the German national goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen and the Argentine world footballer Lionel Messi as well as Real, where national player Toni Kroos was recently enthusiastically praised, also hope for an important victory on the way to winning the league.
The Catalans are only one point behind the recently ailing leaders Atlético Madrid.
"In the locker room of FC Barcelona it is clear to everyone that a win against Zinedine Zidane's team could mean an almost definitive breakthrough to the top of the league," wrote the newspaper "Mundo Deportivo".
Real also still has good chances of winning the title, but the gap to the top of the table is greater.
"At Barça everyone is sure that a win at the Alfredo-di-Stéfano Stadium would hit Real Madrid hard and unsettle", the newspaper said.
At the same time, the pressure on Atlético would increase, which appears to be “physically and emotionally” battered.
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Both teams have to do without important players.
Barça coach Ronald Koeman has to do without Philippe Coutinho and young star Ansu Fati, who are still sidelined due to meniscus injuries.
Zidane should have a similar team, as last in the 3-1 victory in the Champions League against Liverpool.
However, three important players are still missing in defense: the injured Sergio Ramos and Dani Carvajal and Raphael Varane, who tested positive for the corona virus.
Barça do not underestimate the fighting power of the royal team, but also rely on the fact that the Zidane team is distracted by the Champions League, wrote "Mundo Deportivo".
There Real Madrid has just convinced against Jürgen Klopp's Liverpool team.
Central to this was Kroos, whom the sports newspaper “Marca” described as “possibly the best midfielder in the world”.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210409-99-141923 / 2
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"Mundo Deportivo"
"Marca"
Interview Pedri at FC Barcelona
Interview Karim Benzema at Real Madrid