‘How Mourinho Can Beat Barca’

Former Barcelona coach Louis Van Gaal feels that Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho will have to produce something truly ‘special’ to record a Clasico win this season.

The Portuguese has registered just one victory over the Catalans since arriving at the Santiago Bernabeu in the summer of 2010.

Although Los Blancos are currently 7 points clear of the Blaugrana at the top of La Liga and unlikely to need a victory when they travel to Camp Nou on 22 April, Van Gaal suspects that Mourinho will be desperate to improve his dismal record against Pep Guardiola’s men.

“He says he’s special, so I hope he can find a tactic to win at Barca,” the former Bayern Munich boss told A Bola. “And we can not forget that Mourinho has won once against Barca, in the final of the Copa del Rey [last season].”

Van Gaal feels that the self-appointed ‘special one’ deserves credit for putting Los Blancos in an excellent position to seize Barca’s La Liga crown.

“Madrid are better because they have been more consistent and have a 10-point lead,” he stated.

However, while Madrid is running away with La Liga and have now been drawn against Cyprus minnows APOEL in the quarterfinals of the Champions League, Van Gaal still cannot foresee Mourinho getting his hands on the most coveted prize in European club football this coming May.

“Barca are my favorites to win the Champions League,” the Dutchman admitted. “They are a very powerful and under normal conditions, they will win it.”

Barcelona must tackle seven-time winners AC Milan in the last eight of this season’s competition.