He speaks, with a smile, Zinedine Zidane : «I know that in March and April it is where everything is played, but I only care about the here and now , day by day, the match against Levante». Speak, without a smile, Quique Setién . « I am not going to reserve anything , nothing conditions me neither the Champions nor the following games». With or without a smile, they lie . Better written, and since this is simply football, they don't tell the truth .

The coaches of Real Madrid and Barcelona do think beyond this Saturday . It is not that they do not think about the present, that they do, but it is unlikely to think that they do not do so in the next few days . Exactly, in the next seven days. It will not be easy for Madrid to win in the field of Levante or for Barça to overtake Eibar even at Camp Nou . But, being this the most immediate, the horizon is drawn much worse .

In the middle of next week the Champions League returns , demanding for both of them, and they will close the circle on Sunday, at the Bernabéu, against each other in the match they are going to decide, especially in case of victory of the whites, the League . That March 1 could be the beginning of the end for one of the two depending on how the circumstances occurred. In a qualifying order, you should first look at Madrid .

Zidane's 'tetris'

Zidane is no longer injured (except the acquaintances of Asensio and Mariano ) so he has all the ingredients to make the salad in which he converts each alignment lately . Sometimes it works out well and sometimes, as lately, not so well (Real Sociedad in Copa and Celta in Liga) .

"We are fitting more goals, that means we have not been so well," Zidane settled yesterday, which the Levante field is not bad at all (it has not lost since 2012) . Of course, almost always suffers, so tonight does not look like a ride. But the worst will come later. On Wednesday the Champions League returns, the round of 16 return, where the team fell last year against Ajax , and does it big. In front, Pep Guardiola's Manchester City , a team with a brutal offensive potential (and almost the same defensive weakness, though). Finally, the writing: the classic on Sunday at the Santiago Bernabéu .

Zidane must distribute his cards between these three matches. Rodrygo, Vinicius, Isco, Bale, Lucas Vázquez, Modric, Kroos, Valverde, Casemiro ... A number of combinations that escapes even mathematics. A system of three strikers or four midfielders, including five as in the Spanish Super Cup . Everything is open, more seeing the background, indecipherable, of the French, oblivious to the criticisms that have caused that constant carousel of changes. He believes in rotations, believes in players entering and leaving the lineups and will not change . In case anyone doubted it, just listen to him yesterday. "I live with my ideas," he said.

A horrible precedent

What nobody wants to remember in Madrid was the horrible week that destroyed the whole season last year. In 10 days, he lost twice with Barcelona (semifinals of Cup 0-2 and League 0-1) and was razed by Ajax in the round of 16 (1-4) . Does anyone remember which party was immediately prior to that succession of misfortunes? Yes, in the field of Levante, with victory (1-2) .

A point behind Madrid walks Barça, convulsed by the future of a directive, and a president, at least erratic . "Sometimes you think that certain things affect us, and that is not the case," said Setién, who already has his last signing, but does not even complete a call with players from only the first team. Receive the uncomfortable Eibar de Mendilíbar, but then he travels to Naples, to San Paolo, to an uncomfortable stage and against a rival who will print a rhythm that Barça has a hard time reaching. The Bernabéu, of course, is land conquered lately, but that is of no use .

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  • sports
  • Real Madrid
  • FC Barcelona
  • Zinedine Zidane
  • Quique Setién
  • First division
  • Champions League

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