Are Barca blunter?

Guardiola: wants mental freshness

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In Pep Guardiola's first season in charge of Barcleona, they conquered all before them.

The Catalan giants coasted to the Spanish title, claimed the Champions League against Manchester United in Rome and also picked up the Copa del Rey in an incredible season.

And to cap it all off they thrashed their bitter rivals Real Madrid 6-2 in their own back yard...

This weekend El Clasico returns, live on Sky Sports, and the situation isn't looking quite so good for Guardiola's men.

Real go into the game top of the table by a point after Barcelona's disappointing weekend draw with Athletic Bilbao and, according to the Revista de la Liga experts, Barca are lacking the fluency of their previous campaign.

Graham Hunter suggested that might have something to do with the pressure on the team and a lack of concentration in both penalty areas.

"One of the things Guardiola's tried to impose is this programme of resting players as regularly as possible," Hunter explained.

"Whenever they travel, they travel on the day if possible. He very irregularly puts them in a hotel the night before a game because he feels that mental freshness is everything.

"One of the absolute key things that's happening is that the strikers maybe aren't finishing the chances.

"They're making lots of chances, but by a millimetre or two each way - maybe a post or a goalkeeper's save - Barcelona aren't defining the chances quite as ruthlessly as last season.

"Mental freshness, I really do make that point about the difference.

"We talk about the difference between the two sides. We can talk about a side under construction and a side that's burdened down with expectations, with games and with games under their belts too.

"If that mental freshness leads to a certain lack of concentration in front of goal, it's there in defending the goal too."

Concerned

However, after an indifferent start to the season, Hunter feels Guardiola won't be too concerned to be going into the weekend Nou Camp showdown just a point behind their rivals.

"Pep Guardiola knows full well that it's an adequate position to be in at the moment," Hunter continued.

"His team have only really played well, maybe once or twice all season. Real Madrid haven't hit perfect form but they've been monotonously regular and have come up with winners all the time that Barcelona don't seem to be capable of.

"Madrid are also luckier in defending than Barcelona have been, therefore to be only one point behind going into a game like this is at the bottom of his worries given the injuries, the form and the whole idea that Real Madrid play better away from home than they do at home."

Vision

Meanwhile, Guillem Balague discussed Real Madrid's form and argued they should be thankful for the vision that their new coach, Manuel Pellegrini has provided.

"Real Madrid is a team that is getting better," Guillem added.

"The stats have been getting better while Cristiano Ronaldo has been away, there's no doubt about that.

"Pellegrini has been taking the right decisions. He's very clear, this is a team that is very vertical, very fast and direct.

"He's taken Guti out of the line-up and the squad, Raul is more benched than he's ever been in his career, there is now a diamond shape in the midfiled with Xabi Alonso controlling the midfieled and Kaka roaming freely.

"It's all starting to make sense. Higuain is the man on form, somebody, who's very direct, so all those things are right.

"There's the impression that Real Madrid are getting to the Clasico in their best form of the season.

"But wasn't it the same before the 6-2 at the Bernabeu?"