Luis Figo – “Real Madrid are slight favourites for El Clasico, they need the result more” | OneFootball

Few know El Clasico better than Luis Figo, who experienced both sides of the divide, and plenty of aggro to go with it. The Portuguese winger will no doubt be watching on for the next edition, and has made Los Blancos slight favourites for the game.

Tuesday saw Real Madrid complete another memorable comeback, scoring five times in the second half against Borussia Dortmund, with Ballon d’Or elect Vinicius Junior grabbing a hat-trick.

“It’s becoming habitual that a situation like that happens in the Champions League no? Being behind on the scoreboard, and then with all the atmosphere, and the quality that Real Madrid have, securing an inflated result.”

It was put to Figo whether the Bernabeu and the atmosphere on Champions League nights could really have that much of an impact on a game. Manager Carlo Ancelotti had told the players at half-time that if they scored the first goal of the second half, the Bernabeu would get behind them for the comeback.

“I think that playing for Madrid, in that stadium, with all the support they get in the Champions League, it’s a very favourable environment. I was saying to a friend, the second half is still to come, that all of the Real Madrid games are very long at the Bernabeu no?”

“It’s a connection between the people, the players, the situation. It gives you more life, more energy, more intensity, so it helps to bring about that competitiveness, and to achieve your objectives.”

He was also asked for his diagnosis of the Clasico, which will see the top two go head-to-head after a big week for both in the Champions League.

“A Clasico is always unpredictable. Everyone wants to be there, lots of rivalry, lots of aggression. It doesn’t matter much how either team comes into it in terms of performance, because the result is unpredictable. It’ll be good, Madrid has to favoured a bit, because they play at home, and they have to win to be there at the top,” Figo told Cadena SER.

Figo was also asked about the form of Barcelona, and the exciting young talent coming through alongside veteran striker Robert Lewandowski.

“Yes, it’s a mix, which is important in football, of experience and youth, but a youth with quality and talent. If you don’t have it, you can’t perform. Lewandowski, he’s doing what he’s done all his career.”

He would go on to say that Vinicius was one of the favourites for the Ballon d’Or, and that were he picking a 5-a-side team, choosing between the Brazilian and Kylian Mbappe is like choosing between your mother and father.

The form guide would certainly place Barcelona as favourites for the Clasico, but Real Madrid are undeniably in more need of a result. Los Blancos would be six points behind with a defeat, but could go top with a win. Their performance against Dortmund in the second half is an important morale boost, and Ancelotti guaranteed it would be the side in the second half that appeared at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday.