Real Madrid's Xabi Alonso: El Derbi Will Not Be Decisive

Xabi Alonso believes that el derbi against Barcelona will be important but will not be decisive in deciding who can win the league; he also hailed international colleagues, Xavi and Andres Iniesta, as the players to watch.

The Real Madrid midfielder knows all about the game between the two arch rivals as his father, Periko, played for the Blaurgana between 1982 and 1985.

With that background Alonso has also learned that while the victories in the encounters are great for morale this one will not greatly affect the outcome of the title race.

"It will be important, but not decisive. Three more points are at stake, but we will face our greatest opponent and there are nevertheless many games left in the championship," he was quoted as saying by Madrid's official website.

"This is probably the clash with the widest international coverage. England has more strong clashes between teams. In Spain everything seems to be polarised between either Real Madrid or Barcelona.

"It’s good that we have more points than Barcelona, but being leaders at this stage means nothing. We have to remain at the top after the game.

"It will be very intense because both teams know how important the match will be. Both sides will have to be ready for this because they both have impressive potential in attack. The key to winning will be to find the right balance between defence and attack."

Alonso knows how good Xavi and Iniesta can be as he plays alongside them for Spain and believes that they are the greatest in their positions.

"Their performance level is truly impressive. I believe they are the best midfielders in the world," he continued.

"The way to stop them is to steal the ball from them and make them chase us. They are very skilful; they always look for the best option for their team."