Barcelona Can Move Nine Points Clear of Madrid on Sunday

Barcelona can move nine points clear of Real Madrid in La Liga with a win at Camp Nou on Sunday. Real Madrid, which has won four consecutive matches, could cut the current six-point gap in half with a victory. The match would also give Madrid its first win in eight Clasicos; the club has lost six of the last seven meetings.

Mourinho returns to the fixture as Real Madrid manager for the first time since 2010, when Florentino Perez hired him to challenge Pep Guardiola's Barcelona. The 63-year-old has faced Barcelona in 27 matches and managed Real Madrid in 17 previous Clasicos. Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said he expects a Madrid side arriving with "a lot of confidence" and added that he has the highest respect for Mourinho. "When you're managing teams on this level for so many years and you always have success, it's about quality," Flick said.

Barcelona lost for the first time this season on Tuesday, falling 4-2 at Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. Flick said the defeat showed his team where it needs to improve. "We analysed this game. We did many things really good, but we saw some situations where we have to improve," Flick said. "We have to grow as a team. Tomorrow we play against one of the best teams in the world, so it's a good opportunity to grow, to challenge ourselves, to improve ourselves and to grow as a team."

Both managers described the match as a major occasion. "It is true that we are playing for just three points, but the importance of the match goes far beyond that," Flick said. Mourinho said his team has been winning and scoring goals in recent weeks, but added: "in El Clasico, it doesn't matter what you did before. It has no influence." He said he hopes for a good game and a win.

Mourinho's first spell at Real Madrid included some of the most heated encounters in the modern history of the fixture. Barcelona leads the table by six points entering Sunday's match.