Ruud Van Nistelrooy believes Barcelona's defeat to Chelsea will not affect them when they visit the Santiago Bernabeu to face Real Madrid on Sunday. "Barcelona lost to Chelsea, but they are a great team and still lie on top of the Premiera Liga table," Nistelrooy was quoted as saying by Real's official website on Friday. Barcelona were handed a 1-0 defeat to English champions Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday while Real thrashed Steaua Bucharest 4-1. "I hope we face Barcelona with the same spirit we had against Steaua. It was the best match I played since arriving at Real," the Dutch striker added.
The 30-year-old was full of praise for Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard, who had a positive impact on his career. "He gave me the opportunity to play for Holland and was very patient, things became very well for me when he gave me time and confidence." Nistelrooy highlighted the Catalans' main threats which the Spanish giants must be careful of. "Ronaldinho is always brilliant; he has already demonstrated that he can make the difference in any match." "(Lionel) Messi is very dangerous also especially in the center of midfield. There are other excellent players like Xavi and Deco who are able to make threats," he added.
