Real Madrid's squad arrived at the Intercontinental hotel in Barcelona to chants hostile to their Catalan rivals, hours before the eagerly awaited Clasico against Barcelona. The two sides meet this Sunday evening at the Spotify Camp Nou in La Liga, in an atmosphere charged with tension.
Spanish newspaper "AS" reported that around 100 fans gathered to welcome the Real Madrid delegation outside the hotel near Montjuic. Some chanted insults aimed at Barcelona. France's Kylian Mbappe was the last of the players to leave the bus, yet he drew the loudest supportive chants. Portugal's Jose Mourinho earned a few of his own, though with rather less enthusiasm.
The match carries exceptional importance in the race for the La Liga title. Barcelona can stretch the gap over Real Madrid to nine points with a win, tightening their grip at the top of the table after Atletico Madrid closed to within two points following their victory yesterday.
Hansi Flick's Catalan side want to keep their run going and chase a record of 10 straight wins since the start of the season. Real Madrid arrive hoping to close the gap and wreck their rivals' plans in the fight for top spot.
Points are not the only stakes. The Clasico comes amid rising tension between the two boards, fuelled by disputes over refereeing and the pointed exchanges between Florentino Perez and Jose Mourinho. It all adds further weight to a clash followed by football fans around the world.