Vazquez says Real Madrid are looking forward to Barcelona clash in Las Vegas

Real Madrid are just two days away from their first test of the preseason and it comes against none other than arch rivals Barcelona.

The two largest giants of Spanish football are set to meet at 05:00 CEST on Sunday morning in Las Vegas. Real Madrid started their preseason a week after Barcelona and the Catalans have already played twice against Inter Miami and Olot. Yet Lucas Vazquez assured Mundo Deportivo that Los Blancos were looking forward to the match.

“It’s always a beautiful game against Barca, the Clasico. We’re going into it with a lot of desire to get into a rhythm, to create good feeling.”

That is the first of their three fixtures during their preseason tour of the United States, with games against Club America and Juventus to follow next week.

Many can be dismissive of the money-making aspect of these tours, but Vazquez was also keen to highlight the benefits to squad cohesion.

“It’s clear that we are going to work and train a lot, but it’s also going to help us that the whole team is in close quarters together, to make the group strong. That will make the team work and play better.”

Last season manager Carlo Ancelotti was especially keen to emphasize the importance of the team spirit at Real Madrid. Given the manner of their Champions League triumph, it is hard to argue that it wasn’t a factor. If Vazquez’s analysis is correct, Real Madrid will be on their way to maintaining a crucial part of their success.