Real\nMadrid manager Zinedine Zidane says they “have to believe”\nWednesday’s El Clasico against fierce rivals Barcelona will go ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\nLa Liga match was originally scheduled for 26 October but was postponed because\nof fears of civil unrest in Catalonia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Both\nsides are level on 35 points but Barca top the table on goal difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“In\ngames like this you’ve got to produce your best throughout the 90\nminutes,” said Zidane.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\ngame has been delayed by two months after days of protest took place in\nBarcelona as nine Catalan separatist leaders were convicted of sedition over\ntheir role in the referendum and handed jail sentences of between nine and 13\nyears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
La\nLiga made the postponement request because of “exceptional circumstances\nbeyond our control” as more protests were expected in Barcelona on the day\nof the match.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Both\nclubs disagreed with calls to switch the game to Madrid, but will share the\nsame hotel in the lead-up to Wednesday game and travel at the same time two\nhours before kick-off amid security concerns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Zidane\nsaid: “That’s something different for us. We’ve been told that we have to\nleave together and that’s what we’ll do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“There’s\nnothing else to explain. The important thing is that the game goes ahead.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Barcelona\nhead coach Ernesto Valverde added: “I think we could have played the game\non the original day and there is no reason why we can’t play the game tomorrow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“It\nis unlikely in a situation like this that the players will meet before the\ngame, so I probably won’t see Zidane, but I have a lot of respect for\nhim.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane says they “have to believe” Wednesday’s El Clasico against fierce rivals Barcelona will go ahead. The La Liga match was originally scheduled for 26 October but was postponed because of fears of civil unrest in Catalonia. Both sides are level on 35 points but Barca top the table on goal […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27983,"featured_media":12814,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_paywall_metabox":[],"jnews_override_counter":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[102],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12813","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports"],"yoast_head":"\n