Jürgen Klopp had made his mind up before kick-off. Asked by German outlet Buli News who he would be backing in Sunday’s Clasico at Camp Nou, the Germany head coach handed Barcelona a public endorsement.
“Today, I support the better team. And looking at things at the moment, that is probably Barcelona,” Klopp told Buli News.
Three days later, Barcelona lost 2-1 to Real Madrid at a stunned Camp Nou. Kylian Mbappé opened the scoring shortly before half-time, latching on to a Gerard Martín clearance that bounced his way. Raphinha drilled in an equaliser just after the hour. Eduardo Camavinga’s cutback then found the France forward in front of an empty net for the winner.
Pepe and an old grudge
Klopp framed his pick not as club loyalty but as an aversion to how Real Madrid used to defend. He named one player.
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He told Buli News he had leaned Catalan in the past because he could not stand watching Pepe and the rest of Madrid’s old back line clear everything in their path. He now watches the fixture as a neutral, he said, and simply tips whichever side he judges stronger. In his reading, that is currently Hansi Flick’s Barcelona.
Klopp took charge of Germany in August, succeeding Julian Nagelsmann on a contract that runs to 2030.
Nine wins, then this
The defeat ended Barcelona’s perfect start of nine straight La Liga wins. Mbappé’s brace took him to 100 goals in Real Madrid colours since arriving in 2024, including his seventh and eighth against Barcelona.
Flick’s side stay top of La Liga, with Atlético Madrid second and Real Madrid third, three points behind. Lamine Yamal had the night’s clearest chance to equalise before Raphinha’s strike, miscuing in front of goal when he was poised to level, and bent another effort wide after the restart.
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Flick blames fatigue
Klopp’s compatriot Hansi Flick pointed at fatigue after a 4-2 Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain earlier in the week. Barcelona were also missing Dani Olmo and lost teenage defender Xavi Espart to an injury that will keep him out for roughly seven weeks.
“We weren’t fresh. We have to recover, concentrate, and react,” Flick said after the match.
Barcelona’s next La Liga fixture is at Deportivo Alavés on Saturday, 31 October.
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