With the league campaign nearing towards the end and FC Barcelona still needing to make up ground on leaders Real Madrid, Sunday's Clásico must be treated like a final.

That is what Luis Enrique said during Saturday's pre-game press conference, stressing the importance of the encounter while also mentioning that the team must stick to the style of play that has made them so successful.

“There is no better place for a Barça win than the Santiago Bernabéu”, he said. "It is a final for us".

"It is an extra motivation to be able to catch up with Real Madrid," Luis Enrique stated, before adding that "it is a decisive game with the competition nearing its end, it could almost end the league or leave the door open".

While three crucial points are at stake, the boss stressed that “our objective is to remain loyal to our style and to be effective against Reial Madrid”.

Asked whether morale was down after the Champions League exit, Luis Enrique assured that he has “a squad of professionals and we will go in search of the victory despite the difficulty of these matches”.