Madrid, Jan. 11 (BNA): The last time Barcelona faced Real Madrid, the team was still coping with the departure of Lionel Messi and one of its worst financial crises ever.
An Associated Press report said Ronald Koeman was still in command, and the Catalan club struggled both on and off the field.
The 2-1 loss at the Camp Nou in La Liga last October came as no surprise to most people, highlighting Barcelona’s fragility at the moment.
But things are different, with the rivals entering their second “Clásico” of the season in the Spanish Super Cup semi-finals in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.
Barcelona appears to be back on the right track after restructuring its finances and showing signs of improvement on the pitch under coach Xavi Hernandez.
The veteran defender said victory in the Super Cup could mean a turning point for Barcelona.
Barcelona have recovered several players from injury who were unavailable for that league match against Madrid last year, including young midfielder Pedri Gonzalez.
Since then, he has also added some new signings that could make a difference on Wednesday, including veteran Brazil defender Dani Alves and young Spanish player Ferran Torres.
Torres and Pedri recently tested positive for the coronavirus but the two were allowed to make the trip to Saudi Arabia to join the team.
The former Barcelona star said that Real Madrid is the best level team in Spain at the moment. The Catalan club is 17 points behind its rival in the Spanish League with a game postponed.
Barcelona have drawn two of their last three matches in the competition while Real Madrid have won two of the last three.
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