Barcelona – Ramos

Posted by: karthik007 on: December 13, 2008

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New Real Madrid coach Juande Ramos insists his team can beat Barcelona at the Camp Nou to boost their ailing hopes of retaining the league title.

Ramos’s predecessor Bernd Schuster was sacked on Tuesday after stating Real were incapable of winning the match – but the Spaniard believes they can.

“We’re going to the Camp Nou to win,” said the ex-Tottenham coach on Friday.

“We’re capable of doing so, as has happened on other occasions. It’s going to a great, hard-fought game.”

Reigning Spanish champions Madrid sit fifth place in La Liga, nine points adrift of leaders and arch-rivals Barcelona.

Ramos replaced Schuster on a six-month contract to become Madrid’s eighth coach in less than six years.

The former Tottenham coach’s first league game is crucial as he bids to avoid a defeat that would leave his new club 12 points adrift.

Madrid have lost three of their past four league matches, while Barcelona have won 11 and drawn one of their past 12, during which they have scored 43 goals.

Arjen Robben was sent off in the closing stages of Sunday’s 4-3 home defeat by Sevilla and is suspended along with left-back Marcelo.

Robben says his team have not given up on winning a third straight league title despite their poor start.

“Not at all. I mean if we win on Saturday anything can happen,” said the Dutchman.

Since Madrid beat Barcelona 4-1 three days after winning its second straight league title, the Catalan team has been transformed by coach Pep Guardiola, who replaced Frank Rijkaard at the end of last season.

“A win would give us an important advantage over Madrid and a boost to help us make progress,” said Mexican defender Rafael Marquez.

“Hopefully it will be a great game and we can convince people that the 4-1 is forgotten. It’s something that I don’t like thinking back to and I understand people want revenge.”

And Guardiola predicts Madrid will adopt a new style on Saturday under Ramos, who was formerly in charge of Barcelona’s reserve team.

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