"Until today, I've always seen these games sitting on the couch." Quique Setién was referring to his premiere in a classic, at the Santiago Bernabéu and in front of Barcelona. But also to that succession of events that have been piling up since the Barca government decided to hand him the team after the dismissal of Ernesto Valverde. If last Tuesday he had to debut as a coach in the most precious competition, the Champions League, now he has to occupy the bench of Chamartín as a Barcelona coach. He already did it when he directed Las Palmas and Betis, and things could not do better: two wins with the Verdiblancos, in addition to a draw and a defeat with the Canarian team. In fact, Setién has shown his current players videos of the last two victories with Betis at the Bernabéu (0-1 and 0-2) in the previous two seasons .

"As with Betis and Las Palmas, with Barcelona we will also present a daring team that will press and want the ball. In no case do you go quietly to the Bernabéu, even if I won twice. But it would make me very excited to win and continue the extraordinary streak that the club leads. And the one that I carry . " Setién, in his pre-appearance on Sunday's classic, appealed for a good part of his responses to his usual dialectic regarding style, questioned after the continental draw in San Paolo, where his team could only finish once between sticks.

Barcelona, ​​accustomed in recent times to that the institutional messes reach until the last box office of the locker room, has nevertheless managed to link four consecutive victories in the League that have allowed him to recover the leadership of the tournament and take two points of advantage. This is joined by the fall of Real Madrid this February, eliminated as Barça de la Copa and defeated on Wednesday by City in the Champions League; but also the usual Barça Buenaventura every time he steps on the Bernabéu: eight victories in his last 11 visits .

" For Real Madrid it is a vital game. Surely more important than for us , because of the situation at the table and the advantage we could get. For them it is key. I do not know if decisive, but very important. If we win we we will have five points of advantage, "said Setién, although he then showed caution:" But I do not trust anything. It will be an equalized match with alternatives. There will be phases in which we can dominate, and others in which they dominate us ".

Last Wednesday, Setién tried to witness the triumph of Manchester City at the Bernabéu and also visit Pep Guardiola. The former coach of Barcelona has won six of the nine games played in white territory. "I went to watch the game, not Guardiola . I was drawing conclusions, and then we had the opportunity to talk for a while. There are things that City could do that can come in handy. And others, that we may not be able to develop or not interested in There the conversation settled a little. I have a certain relationship with him, "Setien said.

The Barcelona coach could include in the list of summoned one of his most precious pieces: Jordi Alba . The side, who joined the training on Thursday and has hastened his recovery deadlines, was discharged this Saturday. "It's pretty good. The sensations are positive. The only thing you have to decide with him is whether we will take him out or not. He certainly has confidence," said Setién, also aware of the discreet role of Junior Firpo the time in which He had to occupy the left bank.

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  • Quique Setién
  • Real Madrid
  • Pep Guardiola
  • Las Palmas
  • Jordi Alba
  • Ernesto Valverde
  • Barcelona
  • First division
  • Copa del Rey

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