Xavi Espart promises maximum effort as Barcelona face Real Madrid in first starting Clasico

Xavi Espart says Barcelona must give everything when they face Real Madrid at Camp Nou on Sunday, with the 19-year-old set to make his first Clasico start.

The Barcelona academy graduate is preparing for the meeting in the 10th round of the Spanish league and described the fixture as a battle.

“The truth is that it will be a war. We will give our best; it is a Clasico,” Espart said.

He added, according to Mundo Deportivo: “You must always give 100% of your effort, and now we have an opportunity to take more points from them. We will give our best.”

The match will be Espart’s first Clasico in Barcelona’s starting line-up. He normally plays as a left-back but was used on the right by German manager Hansi Flick in Barcelona’s most recent Champions League match against Paris Saint-Germain.

Espart scored in that game, although Barcelona were beaten 4-2 by the French side.

His expected involvement against Real Madrid comes with Barcelona leading the league table on 27 points, having won all of their matches so far. Real Madrid are third, six points behind their rivals.

Barca will therefore enter the fixture with a six-point advantage over Real Madrid, while Espart faces the prospect of taking part in one of Spanish football’s biggest matches from the start of the game.