Based on the Nike advertisement:

In an analysis he made for France TV Canal Plus, former Real Madrid’s galactico and current Florentino Perez’s adviser, Zinedine Zidane confessed to his admiration for the footballing style practiced by Barcelona and acknowledged that in light of the Catalan side’s last Champions League win over Inter Milan (2-0), it will be very difficult to stop the Blaugranas, at least for now. And Real Madrid, in his opinion, is comparably inferior, and believes that only the ‘non-presence’ of Barcelona’s maestro midfielder Andres Iniesta can level the playing field.

The football exhibition displayed by a well-oiled Barcelona machine against Inter Milan has made an impact in Europe, according to Zidane: “I pray that players like Iniesta could not play against Real Madrid (this Sunday),” he declared, adding, “Playing the way they play, neither Real Madrid nor any else can stop them. It is almost impossible.”

The former French crack was so convinced of Barcelona superiority that not even the injuries of Messi and Ibrahimovic can sway his belief. He admitted that Barcelona, ever faithful to their philosophy, under the direction of Pep Guardiola, can afford to miss the services of both players: “The team (against Inter) was still like it ever was; like when Messi or Ibrahimovic played. Barca is the best team in Europe.”

It does not matter that Pellegrini is flaunting the 1-point lead ahead of the match tonight, because if Zidane’s declarations are to be taken at face value, Real Madrid is going to have to face the stark reality that awaits them at the Camp Nou.

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo in an article today claims that Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez, this summer, made a phone call to Barcelona’s technical secretary, Txiki Begiristain, offering him the services of Xabi Alonso (28), if the Blaugrana club would refrain from pursuing their intended target Javier Mascherano. This conversation was alleged to have taken place just days before the English Premiership side agreed to let the player leave for Real Madrid for 30 million euros.

It was well reported during the summer that Txiki and Raul Sanllehi, the club’s Director of Football, was making a concerted effort for the Kop’s Argentine defensive midfielder, Javier Mascherano (25), and the rumours was further flamed when Sanllehi was seen meeting with Walter Tamer, the player’s agent, in Barcelona that June. However, the negotiations ran into difficulties because of Benitez’s insistence on keeping the player, refusing to even contemplate the possibilities. “Mascherano is not for sale at any price,” he was once quoted as saying; even though it was believed that Liverpool was looking at a 50 million euros price tag, way beyond what the Catalan side was willing to pay.

In early August, when Real Madrid was close to securing the services of Xabi Alonso, the Liverpool manager, seeing that it was almost impossible to retain the player, was said to have preferred to let him move to the Camp Nou instead; hence the phone call. Txiki however was supposed to have told him that even though Xabi is a very good player, the club was not interested in him. A few days later, Real Madrid acquired him.