Barcelona "crisis" not on Kaka's mind

Posted Saturday, March 02, 2013 by Foxsports.com

Kaka insists Real Madrid do not view the La Liga 'Clasico' against Barcelona as an opportunity to rub salt into the wounds of the wobbling Catalans.

Barcelona

Madrid beat their fierce rivals 3-1 at the Nou Camp on Tuesday to knock them out of the Copa del Rey, while Tito Vilanova's side are also in danger of exiting the Champions League as they trail AC Milan 2-0 heading into the return leg of their last-16 tie in 10 days' time.

"We are not thinking about sending them into a crisis, we're just thinking about what we need to do," Kaka told a press conference.

However, the Brazilian midfielder did concede Madrid had been lifted by the result at the Nou Camp, adding that they now hope to close the gap on the runaway leaders in the La Liga table.

He said: "It's always great for us to beat Barcelona.

"We have now shown we can beat anyone and that has made us feel very positive.

"We go into the game with a lot of confidence and we have to get three points tomorrow [Saturday] to reduce the gap from 16 points to 13."

With Madrid facing Manchester United in the second leg of their last-16 Champions League at Old Trafford next week, coach Jose Mourinho is expected to rest several of his usual first-team players against Barcelona.

Kaka revealed the players had not been told who would play on Saturday but was excited about the prospect of facing Barcelona, as it would give him the chance to prove his worth in a big match.

Kaka said: "He hasn't told us what the team will be, he will make the decision tomorrow [Saturday].

"It could be a great occasion for me, to show that I can still do great things for the team in important matches.

"It will be a great opportunity for me if I play tomorrow [Saturday]."

The Spanish media has reported that Cristiano Ronaldo will be left on the substitutes' bench against Barca as a precaution ahead of the trip to Old Trafford, while the Catalan press believe that Eric Abidal, who has not played a competitive match for over a year following a liver transplant, could return to the Barcelona squad.

Barca midfielder Xavi has been ruled with a hamstring injury he suffered on Tuesday, forcing him to be substituted by Thiago Alcantara midway through the second half.

Lionel Messi has admitted the Barcelona players are struggling to come to terms with the defeat to Madrid in the Copa del Rey, which came just six days after the loss to Milan in the San Siro.

He told Chinese social media website Weibo: "We are not used to dealing with a situation like the one we are going through at the moment."

However, the Argentinian believes the team will overcome their current troubles, adding: "I have a lot of faith that this group will keep moving forward."