El Clasico: Barcelona manager isn't afraid, especially at home

Ahead of Sunday's clash between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid CF, Ronald Koeman spoke to the press to share his thoughts and give a preview of what to expect. Notably, he said that he isn't afraid to go into the big match, especially since they have home advantage.

Koeman is eager to chalk up his first El Clasico win at the helm at Barcelona. It may be remembered that the Blaugrana were defeated by Los Blancos in both El Clasico matches that were played last season. The Dutchman is determined to put those results in the past and finally claim a victory with the support of home fans in the stands.

Last week, the Catalan government finally allowed stadiums to operate at full capacity, and Koeman is hoping that fans will come out in full support of the squad. "We're excited to play this game. I hope the stadium can be full or almost full and for there to be a good atmosphere," he said.

However, their do-or-die Champions League match against Dynamo Kiev in midweek only saw half of the Camp Nou's seating capacity occupied. It remains to be seen if fans will come out for the early Sunday kick-off.

He also spoke about the club's confidence leading up to the big game. "We have won our past two matches and feel good ahead of this big game," he said, adding: "We know what we can do and we're playing at home, so I'm not scared."

Despite being confident, Koeman wants to hold on to the lessons from last season. "We still remember what happened last year. But, many things can happen. This match will say a lot about the current state of form of both sides."

Koeman refused to claim that his side has an advantage going into the match, clearly showing that they are not underestimating the opponents. "There are some areas where they might be better and some where we might be better," he said.

The Barca boss also weighed in on the comparisons between the two opposing youth sensations- Barcelona's Ansu Fati and Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior. "They are both young and still have to prove a lot. I mentioned this the other day, but we need to be calm with Ansu Fati and let him fully recover," he said. This may be an indication that he won't be relying heavily on Ansu to lead Barcelona's offence owing to the fact that he ha splayed only three matches since coming back from a year-long injury.

Koeman showed exasperation when asked about his future, but he said that he knows he needs to deliver positive results.