Laudrup: High defense is Barcelona s style, the problem is that they have to press their opponents

Hupu News on October 25 Michael Laudrup, this Danish legend who has played for Real Madrid and Barcelona, ​​may be one of the people who best understands the significance of El Clasico. He personally experienced two 5-0 runs in 1994 and 1995 (each team won once). Recently, he accepted an interview with the "AS" newspaper and analyzed the upcoming Spanish El Clasico at the Bernabeu. He talked about Flick and Xavi Alonso. The following is the first half of his interview.

Based on your current observations of Real Madrid and Barcelona, ​​who do you think will win this El Clasico?

Wow! It’s complicated and I think this is the most uncertain derby because both teams are in similar shape at the moment. If I remember correctly, Barcelona won every El Clasico last season. They are also in good shape this year, but in terms of record, Real Madrid is slightly better. With the exception of the Madrid derby, Xavi Alonso's side have won every match in the league and Champions League. They have Courtois and Kylian Mbappe in excellent form, but they still struggle when it comes to creating in the midfield. Barcelona, ​​on the other hand, still score a lot of goals and play at a high level, but this year when they use offside tactics, I see them doing it differently than last season because they don't press the opponent with the ball to the same intensity and give them more space. So they have to be careful, I don't think Mbappe will fall into the offside trap as many times as he did in El Clasico last year. This game comes a bit early. Both teams are still in the running-in period, especially Real Madrid because they have a new coach. Both teams still need to improve.

So do you think Flick will take such a risk and use such a forward line of defense?

I don’t know, because this is his style after all. The question is when and how he does it. That said, going back to what I said earlier, if you don't press the opponent with the ball, any player can pass the ball into space while moving freely. But if you press the player with the ball, it becomes more difficult when he wants to pass the ball. That's what Barcelona did for most of last year, and I see them not doing that much so far this season.

Your explanation makes me want to ask, does the absence of Inigo Martinez have a great impact on Barcelona?

We all know that he was very good last season, but when I talk about pressing, I am not talking about a specific defensive line, but the whole, Barcelona as a whole. This is a collective issue.

What do you think is the difference between the styles of Xabi Alonso and Ancelotti?

To be honest, there is not much difference. Both of them focus on the 4-3-3 formation, and of course each has their own emphasis. Ultimately, the system will look a certain way based on the characteristics of the players you put on the field because everyone plays differently. It's different whether Barcelona uses Rafinha or someone else on the left wing. The difference between Xabi Alonso and Ancelotti is more about the way the players perform on the field.

Will Xavi Alonso form a 4-3-3 formation?

Good question, considering Bellingham is slowly getting back into shape after injury and surgery. He showed his quality again against Juventus. He has the instincts of a striker and knows how to attack space perfectly, his pace and power making it difficult to stop. I think he will field three midfielders, with Bellingham as the attacking midfielder, playing the role of the fourth midfielder in defensive organization and offensive creation, and forming a trident with Mbappe and another forward, most likely sacrificing the right winger.