The last minute trident that fuels the morale of Barcelona in Riyadh

• Barça Xavi, Alves and Ferran, the illusion of the 'first' classic: "I have lived them in all colors"

• Direct witness Asphalt, sand, very strict rules, restrictions and the preview of the Super Cup classic in Riyadh: "What game?"

• Carlo Ancelotti "I would be worried if my players think they are favorites"

• Benzema and Vinicius The milestone that only two Madridista couples have achieved in history

The soundtrack of the charming Prince Faisal Stadium was the shouts of a group that has nothing to lose. The night covers Riyadh without contemplations and under the spotlights and the mist the Barcelona players appear. Just a couple of hours after Real Madrid have completed their training. In front,

, whom no one expected in that corner of the planet. To whom no one was waiting so soon at home. The current Barça coach was worshiped in Doha, some 500 kilometers from Riyadh, and turned into something similar to a Messiah due to the hardships and hardships of a team in need of illusion. Few, except him, of course, trust that feat in the classic, which would have been a victory without more in any other era. But it is what it touches.

In this Barcelona, ​​any detail, no matter how minimal, is a boost to your mood.

Hence, the presence yesterday of

and

during the last training session invited us to immerse ourselves in optimism.

Both landed in the Saudi capital at noon along with the president, Joan Laporta.

However, neither of them have something tangible to hold onto this season.

The Pedri marathon toll

Ferran's last game, a winter signing to meet some of Xavi's many needs, dates back to October 10. It was during the

final that Spain lost to France at San Siro. A broken right foot left him KO and he has not played a single minute. Even the Covid stormed by surprise after its presentation at the Camp Nou. The forward was registered yesterday

Pedri's life, squeezed to the limit last year, with the Tokyo Olympics as the culmination of a grueling adventure (52 games and 3,526 minutes), has not been very different from that of his Spanish teammate. He played his last minutes in Lisbon, against Benfica, in the twilight of September. The rush to return, after suffering a muscle injury, led to a relapse that has kept him away from the spotlight for three and a half months. After conquering the

, the coronavirus, like so many others, wanted to pay him a visit at the last minute.

joined the cause

, also burdened by a muscular setback since November 6.

The winger, like

and

, traveled to Arabia without medical discharge.

"We don't want to lose more people"

«It is great news that both Ferran and Pedri can play, although we will see how they are both physically. There are five months of competition left and we don't want to lose more people », Xavi acknowledged yesterday, on the eve of his first classic as a coach, two months after his advent. Winning would be a turning point; He would not give us the title, but it would be very important for us ", added in his reflection the Catalan coach, who does not forget the four consecutive defeats that his team drags in the last duels against Real Madrid, from which they separate 17 points in the League .

A distance that, however, does not lower the guard of Carlo Ancelotti, who yesterday, at the lectern next to

, distrusted that role of victim of Barcelona.

"I would be worried if the players think we are favorites, but they don't.

They think we have to do everything to win it, "he said.

About half an hour from the Rey Fahd stadium, the scene of the semifinal of the Spanish Super Cup, Xavi Hernández was dreaming yesterday.

As if he were still one of the squad.

Another sip of hope for a team in need of her.

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Know more

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