By Nikola Miloradovic / info@eurohoops.net
Xavi Pascual spoke to the media ahead of Friday’s EuroLeague clash against Real Madrid, making it clear that his team approaches the Clásico with ambition and the firm belief that it can compete at the highest level.
After a few days of recovery, the coach underlined the scale of the challenge and the importance of seizing every opportunity in a competition as long and demanding as the EuroLeague.
“We’re in a good place. We were able to rest a bit on Monday and now focus on this game. There’s no doubt it’s a major challenge — winning again is very difficult. But we’ll be ready to try. We know the extraordinary quality of Real Madrid and how hard it is to play against them,” Pascual said.
Barcelona’s coach stressed the competitive mindset with which his team will travel to Madrid, turning the familiar ‘game-by-game’ mantra into something tangible.
“We’re going there to win, to try with all our strength. We truly believe in the game-by-game approach and we’re going for it. The EuroLeague is long, and when you have a chance to win, you have to take it, because there will always be a bad day, like the one we had against Monaco. In the other games, when you’re there, you have to finish the job.”
On the tactical keys to the game, Pascual was clear in his assessment of Real Madrid’s offensive power.
“The theory says that Real Madrid scores against everyone, so if you want to beat them, you have to play very well offensively. Their quality and scoring ability are enormous, and they punish any mistake you make,” Pascual said, “It does feel like if we want to win, we have to score. But you never know — sometimes games get bogged down. We might have a quarter where neither team really gets going, but overall it looks like a game that will be played in the 90-to-100-point range.”
He also assessed the roster options available for the Clásico, recalling the previous meeting between the two sides.
“We prepared the last Clásico with Darío, and he wasn’t able to play. Now adding Veselý gives us another option. Adding another player is always a positive.”
Regarding absences, he added:
“Unfortunately, I still haven’t been able to train Juan Núñez, and Will Clyburn is out, but everyone else is contributing.”
Finally, the coach provided an update on Will Clyburn’s condition, opting for caution.
“Will Clyburn is progressing well, but he still needs about two more weeks. We’re evaluating him step by step, but with muscle injuries you always have to be careful. It might feel like he could already return, but we have to take it slowly to avoid a setback.”