Match Preview: A very special ‘Clásico’ with a special tribute to Cruyff

Barcelona (CNA).- FC Barcelona against Real Madrid is simply the biggest match in club football where the best players in the world do battle for 90 minutes. On Saturday night at Camp Nou, a stadium-wide tribute to Johan Cruyff, former Barça player and coach years later, will appear in the form of a mosaic made up of some 90,000 cards that will form the slogan 'Gràcies Johan' (Thanks, Johan). The match will also be attended by the eight living FC Barcelona presidents who will all be sitting in the Josep Suñol Presidential Box at Camp Nou. In the sportive sphere, Cláisco will be the first managerial duel between Luis Enrique and Zidane. Of the 85 Clásicos that have taken place at Camp Nou, Barça have won on 49 occasions, while 19 have ended in Real Madrid wins and 17 in draws. In their last encounter, Barça scored 4 goals at Santiago Bernabéu. After a round of international fixtures which saw 18 FC Barcelona players head off to represent their countries, Luis Enrique was finally able to call on all of his squad member during Thursday’s session.

After a round of international fixtures which saw 18 FC Barcelona players head off to represent their countries, Luis Enrique was finally able to call on all of his squad member during Thursday’s session.

Leo Messi, Javier Mascherano, Dani Alves, Luis Suárez, Marc-André Ter Stegen, Thomas Vermaelen and Arda Turan were back at Ciutat Esportiva to continue preparations for Saturday’s game against Real Madrid. Luis Enrique also chose Mujica and Carbonell from the U19s to train with the first team.

FC Barcelona defender Jérémy Mathieu was successfully operated on Thursday by doctors Ramon Cugat and Ricard Pruna following an injury to the meniscus in his right knee. He suffered the injury during the game he played with the French national team against Russia on Tuesday. Mathieu will be out between six and eight weeks.

Luis Enrique and Zidane: first head-to-head as managers

The duo meet for the first time as FC Barcelona and Real Madrid coaches, but as players they faced each other in several editions of the famous rivalry

Saturday’s Clásico at the Camp Nou (8.30pm CET) brings with it a number of attractions, one of which is the first managerial duel between Luis Enrique and Zidane.

In their playing days, both the Asturian and the Frenchman were massive stars for their respective clubs, and are now the main men in charge at the same. Luis Enrique is into his second season at FC Barcelona and has already won five major trophies, and so far can count all three of his Clásicos as victories (3-1 at the Bernabéu and 2-1 at the Camp Nou last term with Carlo Ancelotti in charge of the opposition and 4-0 earlier this season against Rafa Benítez).

Zidane has only been on the Bernabéu bench since 4 January 2016, in replacement for the aforesaid Benítez. Until now, he has overseen twelve Liga fixtures, collecting nine wins, two draws and one defeat.

Debut Clásicos for Arda Turan and Aleix Vidal

This Saturday sees the possibility of two players of the current squad making their Clásico debuts.

Aleix Vidal and Arda Turan joined the club last summer and were unable to feature in the first meeting between the two sides due to a FIFA-imposed ban which has since been lifted.

Both players have faced Madrid with their former clubs, though results have not always been positive. Arda Turan tasted nothing but defeat in his first two seasons with Atletico Madrid against their rivals, though his fortunes changed dramatically from the 2013/14 season, as they went on to draw once and win three times in the league. Arda also scored the winner in his last derby at the Santiago Bernabéu in a 2-1 win. In the Champions League, however, the Turkish captain started both legs in 2014/15 where Los Blancos sealed progression to the semi-finals.

Aleix Vidal has played just twice against Madrid, both last season for Sevilla which ended in defeats. The first was a 3-2 loss at Sánchez Pizjuán followed by a 2-1 defeat at the Bernabéu.

'Gràcies Johan' mosaic planned for FC Barcelona v Real Madrid

On Saturday night at Camp Nou, a stadium-wide tribute to Johan Cruyff will appear in the form of a mosaic made up of some 90,000 cards that will form the slogan 'Gràcies Johan' (Thanks, Johan).

It is a special tribute made even more so because Saturday's league match is the so-called El Clásico pitting FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. After four days of mourning that saw more than 60,000 fans visit the Cruyff Memorial at Camp Nou, everyone on hand for the game will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to pay tribute to the legendary former player and coach of FC Barcelona. The message of gratitude will be accompanied by a Barça shirt bearing Cruyff's number 14, and will be flanked by the blaugrana colours of the Barça flag and the red and gold of La Senyera, the national flag of Catalonia.

The words 'Gràcies Johan' will also appear on the shirts worn by FC Barcelona, replacing the world champions shield in the middle of the chest on a one-time basis. The players from both Barça and Real Madrid will take the field accompanied by children wearing shirts bearing the same words on the front, and with the names of the Cruyff Foundation and FC Barcelona on the back.

Saturday's La Liga match against Real Madrid will also be attended by the eight living FC Barcelona presidents — former presidents Agustí Montal, Raimon Carrasco, Josep Lluís Núñez, Joan Gaspart, Enric Reyna, Joan Laporta, Sandro Rosell and current president Josep Maria Bartomeu — who will all be sitting in the Josep Suñol Presidential Box at Camp Nou.

Prior to kick-off, there will also be a minute of silence and a video in memory of Johan Cruyff played on the stadium's video scoreboards.