Barcelona legend Mascherano talks El Clasico memories, Guardiola, Mourinho, Yamal, Bellingham

With the much anticipated Clasico right around the corner, Barcelona gear up for a crucial encounter at the Olímpic Lluís Companys.

Now speaking to GOAL, South American legend Javier Mascherano has come out to share his thoughts on his former club, the upcoming affair, and the significance of the rivalry.

The former Argentine center-back, when asked to provide his predicted scoreline, replied: “I always try to speak with emotion. I think Barcelona will win El Clasico 2-1.”

Mascherano was one of the players privileged to be a regular face in this historic rivalry during his stay at the Catalan club.

He celebrated some dominant victories representing the Blaugrana colors and stated “I think that my favorite El Clasico moment was the 0-4 win at the Bernabeu in the 2015/2016 season.”

Recalling his very first Clasico, he shed light upon the significance of the match as it turned out to be a 5-0 victory by Barcelona and it was the first of many iconic match-ups between Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho.

“I was benched on my first Clasico. We beat Madrid 5-0 at the Camp Nou, and it was also the first Clasico between Pep and Mourinho.” Mascherano expressed.

Speaking about his former teammate Xavier Hernandez, the central defender only had words of praise as Mascherano lauded Xavi’s work as a coach since taking over.

“I think that Xavi has made big changes at the club. It was not easy when he arrived, as Barça was really struggling. The main change is that the club is playing modern football again, you can see the Barça DNA and playing style in the team.” he said.

The emergence of Barcelona’s talented crop of youngsters also was the topic of discussion and the name of Lamine Yamal unsurprisingly came up, with the youngster morphing into a regular first-team member.

Mascherano made sure to acknowledge his talents but exclaimed that caution was necessary with his development, stating:

“Obviously Lamine Yamal is very young. But everyone sees him as a star. I think it’s important that Barca don’t push him or put him under pressure. The club sees him as one of the best players in the next 10 years, along with players like Gavi and Pedri.”

Providing insight into the opposition Barcelona faces at hand, Mascherano waxed lyrical about Jude Bellingham.

“I like Jude Bellingham. It’s not easy for an English player to adapt to La Liga, especially being so young. He plays like a 30-year-old. It will be difficult for Barça to stop him, but if Xavi knows how, perfect!” he shared.