Possession key for Luis Enrique

luisenrique

Barca sit top of La Liga after eight games and are four points ahead of European champions Real heading into the eagerly anticipated showdown at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Real, however, currently possess the most potent attacking force in La Liga, having scored 30 goals in eight matches, with Cristiano Ronaldo alone having scored 15 in seven appearances.

No team has scored a league goal against Barca this season, and coach Luis Enrique feels it will be important to dominate possession against Real in order to maintain that impressive record.

"We need to keep the ball with us, that's what we want," he said on Friday.

"We want to have more possession than Real Madrid and from that point on we will try to make as few mistakes as possible and be sharp on our attacking game.

"There is no doubt that one of their bests is their capacity to score. Their capacity to score makes them one of the best teams in the world and it's a quality we can't ignore nor deny."

As well as representing Barca during his playing days, Luis Enrique spent five years at Real Madrid between 1991 and 1996.

The 44-year-old stated that he has few memories of playing at the Bernabeu but has had no issues returning there as a coach.

"Well it's totally different to go as a manager rather than as a player," he added. "One situation has nothing to do with the other.

"I barely remember what it was like to play there as my last time was many years ago. As a manager I went last year [with Celta Vigo], it was a pleasure, very quiet, I didn't have any problems."

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