19 April 2024 , 22:04
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Mesut Ozil has told Barcelona to focus on their own performances and not the referee ahead of El Clasico this weekend.
Real Madrid host second-place Barca on Sunday evening knowing that a win would effectively end the title race and bring La Liga back to the Bernabeu. While Real are still riding high from beating Manchester City in the Champions League quarter-finals via a dramatic penalty shootout on Tuesday, Barcelona are licking their wounds after a humiliating exit the night before.
Xavi's men were dumped out by Paris Saint-Germain, despite at one stage leading 4-2 on aggregate in what was a defining fixture for their underwhelming season. A first-half red card shown to Ronald Araujo turned the tie on its head, with PSG capitalising and eventually winning 4-1 on the night to reach the semi-finals.
Barca boss Xavi - who was also sent off during the game - furiously confronted referee Istvan Kovacs after the final whistle and proceeded to slam the officiating in his post-match press conference. But Ozil, who enjoyed a trophy-laden spell with Real from 2010 to 2013, believes that's not where his focus should be.
"Barcelona is fighting, trying. They have good players in each position but they've had too many injuries this season," the now-retired German, 35, told Marca. "Perhaps they should pay a little more attention to themselves and their mistakes and not always complain about referees.
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"It doesn't help. Real Madrid are having a fantastic season. I didn't expect it after Karim (Benzema) left the club, but they are doing very well."
Indeed they are, with the likes of Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior powering Real to an eight-point lead at the top of La Liga with seven fixtures to go. Los Blancos have only lost one league game all season and managed a late comeback to win the first Clasico of the campaign 2-1 on enemy territory.
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Real Madrid boast an eight-point lead at the top of La Liga (Antonio Villalba/Real Madrid via Getty Images)Real are beginning to see the end of what's been a torrid year with long-term injuries, although experienced stars Thibaut Courtois and David Alaba won't be back this season due to their cruciate ligament lay-offs. Right-back Dani Carvajal is a doubt for the match while for Barca, they're missing young left-back Alejandro Balde and the former Golden Boy award winner, Gavi.
Barca's recent Clasico record will fill fans with dread, as Carlo Ancelotti's men have won the last four competitive clashes, including a 4-1 trouncing in the Spanish Super Cup final in January. It'll also be Xavi's final clash with Real before leaving his post this summer.