Former Real Madrid midfielder Rafael Van der Vaart expects the Madrillians to win Sunday’s El Classico over Barcelona, as he believes that Jose Mourinho’s team can exploit rival weaknesses in counterattacks.

Speaking ahead of this very important confrontation, the Dutch estimated that Real Madrid could benefit from the frequent loss of the ball by Barcelona and turn these situations into dangerous cases of marking.

I hope Real Madrid wins the game. Even though Barcelona is playing well, I think Real Madrid can make great use of the losing of the ball by the Catalonians through counterattacks. I believe they will punish Barcelona, Van der Vaart declared.

However, the former footballer does not believe Barcelona’s 4-2 defeat of Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League will significantly affect its performance in El Classico.

No, I don’t think losing to Paris Saint-Germain will affect Barcelona. Of course, it’s never good to lose an important match, especially with a score of 4-2, which is a very serious loss.

But I think Sunday’s game will be totally different. Barcelona is an experienced team, plays at home and is used to winning in front of its fans. So it will be an interesting game, he explained.

Van der Vaart does not expect any surprise from Mourinho regarding the tactical changes or the title Real Madrid formation.

No, I don’t expect any surprises. I think he’ll activate almost the same team as to Leipzig, when they secured victory at home, the Dutch said.

Finally, the former midfielder praised Mourinho’s influence on Real Madrid, stressing that the Portuguese coach has turned the team into a team aimed at winning. According to him, players fight for the coach, show commitment and discipline, and function as an organised group in every part of the field.

I think the big difference is that Real Madrid has become a victory machine. Players fight for the coach and give everything every meter of the field, Van der Vaart concluded. /Telegraph/