Jules Koundé knows exactly who he’s up against this Sunday at the Camp Nou, and he isn’t pulling any punches regarding the difficulty of the task in a potentially league-clinching Clásico against Real Madrid.
In a recent Q&A on FC Barcelona’s official YouTube channel, the French defender singled out his primary rival on the flank as his toughest challenge to date. “Vinicius is the forward who has made me suffer the most,” Koundé admitted, later adding that the Brazilian “is always a difficult one.
He is a great player, very fast and changes direction very quickly.”
He also labeled AC Milan’s Rafael Leão as “difficult, fast, powerful and tall,” but it’s the looming battle with Vinicius that defines the stakes for the upcoming Clásico.
“I don’t like to live without pressure. I take on responsibility naturally, it’s part of the life of an elite athlete,” he noted.
He simply wouldn’t want a life “without feeling that I have no responsibility,” he said.
This mindset is fueling a Barcelona locker room that is, according to Koundé, “plugged in” and ready to clinch the league trophy against their biggest rivals. The math is simple: a draw works, but the defender told the public that Barcelona would be looking to win the match.
To secure that win, Koundé believes the team must stick to their tried-and-tested tactics. “It is about being focused, knowing how to act when we are facing a counter-attack. The key is to have a good pressure, as is always our philosophy,” he explained.
“I can’t promise that we will score three goals in the Clásico. We have done it on other occasions, but now the important thing is to win the match.”
