Barcelona centre-back Ronald Araujo urged his squad to return to their best ahead of a massive Copa del Rey tie with Real Madrid on Thursday.
WHAT HAPPENED? Barcelona have lost back-to-back fixtures and are struggling with a litany of injuries as they head into Thursday’s El Clasico. Robert Lewandowski, Pedri and Ousmane Dembele are all out, while the rest of the front line is misfiring. Still, Araujo insisted that the Blaugrana can get back to winning ways against their biggest rivals.
WHAT THEY SAID: “El Clasico is always special, and it’s a match that everyone wants to play. Madrid are a team with great players. We’re ready,” he told Barca TV. “The team is like a family, we are all close to each other. We’re coming from two consecutive losses, but the team is good and we know our potential. We have to wake up and turn the page.
“There’s still a lot left for the end of the season, and we’re top of the league.”
