The defender has revealed that Luis Enrique's men always relish playing Liga rivals Real Madrid, whom they visit on November 21 for a top-of-the-table clash


Gerard Pique says that Barcelona's players cannot wait for Saturday week's Liga showdown with Real Madrid, admitting that the Clasico "turns us on".

The Catalans defeated Villarreal 3-0 on Sunday and that victory, coupled with los Blancos' loss at Sevilla, enabled Luis Enrique's men to pull three points clear of their great rivals at the top of the table.

The European champions had to fight hard to sink the Yellow Submarine, with Pique one of five Barca players booked at Camp Nou, and the centre-half has admitted that he and his team-mates were worried about being suspended for the fixture that they enjoy the most.

"Big games like these are why we become footballers," he said of the November 21 meeting with Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu. "The Clasico turns us on.

"When the ref started flashing cards around [against Villarreal], we were thinking, 'Hey, the Clasico is our next match!'