Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez believes Sunday's clasico against Real Madrid is an "opportunity" for his players to bounce back from their Champions League struggles and cement top spot in La Liga.
Barca are enjoying a strong start to the league season having won seven and drawing one of their opening eight games to share top spot with Real Madrid, who hold the same record.
However, Barcelona's European form has been less convincing after winning just one of their four games to face elimination from the group stage for a second successive year.
Xavi is keen for his team to set aside their Champions League disappointment and use Sunday's visit to the Santiago Bernabeu as a chance to bounce back.
"I'm always an optimist and I see this game as a great opportunity for us. We are the (Liga) leaders and we want to continue to be as of Sunday," Xavi told a news conference.
"We want to leave the past behind. If we are positive, everything will be fine."
Barcelona, who have been struggling with several injuries, do have some positive team news after Xavi confirmed French defender Jules Kounde is set to return after missing recent matches with a hamstring injury.
"He is very well, 100 per cent and happy," Xavi said. "His feelings are very good. He has trained very hard and is available for Sunday."
Indeed, Kounde was among the Barcelona players who took part in the final training session at the club's Joan Gamper training ground on Saturday ahead of the clasico. Robert Lewandowski, who scored twice to earn Barca a 3-3 draw with Inter Milan on Wednesday, also went through his paces alongside the likes of Ansu Fati, Raphinha, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba.
Check out the best photos from the training session in the photo gallery above. To move on to the next photo, click on the arrows or if using a mobile device, simply swipe.
Manchester United's summer dealings
In
Victor Lindelof (Benfica) £30.7 million
Romelu Lukaku (Everton) £75 million
Nemanja Matic (Chelsea) £40 million
Out
Zlatan Ibrahimovic Released
Wayne Rooney (Everton) Free transfer
Adnan Januzaj (Real Sociedad) £9.8 million
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The%20Kitchen
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
Company profile
Name: Back to Games and Boardgame Space
Started: Back to Games (2015); Boardgame Space (Mark Azzam became co-founder in 2017)
Founder: Back to Games (Mr Azzam); Boardgame Space (Mr Azzam and Feras Al Bastaki)
Based: Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Industry: Back to Games (retail); Boardgame Space (wholesale and distribution)
Funding: Back to Games: self-funded by Mr Azzam with Dh1.3 million; Mr Azzam invested Dh250,000 in Boardgame Space
Growth: Back to Games: from 300 products in 2015 to 7,000 in 2019; Boardgame Space: from 34 games in 2017 to 3,500 in 2019
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Plastic tipping point
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MATCH INFO
Manchester United 6 (McTominay 2', 3'; Fernandes 20', 70' pen; Lindelof 37'; James 65')
Leeds United 2 (Cooper 41'; Dallas 73')
Man of the match: Scott McTominay (Manchester United)
THE DETAILS
Kaala
Dir: Pa. Ranjith
Starring: Rajinikanth, Huma Qureshi, Easwari Rao, Nana Patekar
Rating: 1.5/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
Godzilla%20x%20Kong%3A%20The%20New%20Empire
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Herc's Adventures
Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
The%20specs
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
