Andres Iniesta gives his verdict on Barcelona’s chances vs Real Madrid and La Liga | OneFootball

Barcelona legend and Vissel Kobe midfielder Andres Iniesta spoke to ESPN earlier this week where he spoke about topics ranging from the new generation of youngsters at Barcelona to the club’s struggles in the Champions League in the past few years.

When asked about the expectations from the upcoming Clasico, the World Cup winner said that Barcelona have the squad to win not only the Clasico but also the league title.

“I think Barça fans are always optimistic, even more so for the Clasico. They will be looking forward to the game, their team playing well and winning. Barça have the team to win the Clasico and LaLiga. I hope they play well and get the three points.”

Barcelona have had a rough start to their Champions League campaign. Successive defeats against Bayern Munich and Benfica have placed them in fourth place in the group. Iniesta was asked about the same, to which he responded saying,

“As an ex-Barcelona player, it is difficult for me to analyse it because on the outside you often hear things that aren’t the reality. If I was on the inside, I could speak much more about it.”

The Spaniard was then asked about the club’s transition and the difficulties experienced by the players and management. The midfielder agreed that it was not an easy situation but said that they would fall in line.

“From here, and looking at the last few years, it’s not an easy situation. New players are coming in, young players, players from elsewhere, other players have left. It’s never easy. We all have to have faith that they will end up following the right line.”

He then reminisced his playing days and spoke about how he felt when he was first promoted to the main team. The legendary midfielder said,

“When I was promoted to the first team, it was tough. I tell the youngsters coming through to take advantage of the opportunity.”

Iniesta finally spoke about keeping the right amount of expectations on the young and upcoming teenagers and spoke about the importance of not putting pressure on them.

“We have to value the faith being shown in these young guys. The only thing we should not do is think that 17 or 18-year-olds can be the solution during these times. We cannot put the responsibility on them to carry the team. They have to accompany the team little by little, gaining prominence and becoming important.”