Pique backs Gordon over Mbappe in team-player debate before El Clasico

Former Barcelona defender Gerard Pique has sparked fresh debate ahead of Sunday’s El Clasico by selecting Anthony Gordon over Kylian Mbappe when judging players on their contribution to the team.

Barcelona face Real Madrid in the 10th round of La Liga, with Pique making a series of comparisons between players from the two clubs during a filmed interview with former Mexico international Miguel Layun.

Asked to choose between Barcelona winger Gordon and Real Madrid forward Mbappe, Pique said he would prefer the Englishman from a collective perspective.

“As a team player, he [Gordon] is someone I would want in my team,” said Pique. “But if you are talking about individual quality, I would choose Mbappe.”

Pique also compared Barcelona’s Eric Garcia with Real Madrid’s Denzel Dumfries, again opting for the Catalan club’s player.

“Eric Garcia is better than Dumfries, even if he is injured. Otherwise, I would choose Kounde,” he said.

The former Spain international was then asked to choose between Barcelona’s Rodri and Real Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni. He responded with a laugh: “Well, I will be objective this time: Rodri.”

Pique declined to decide between Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal and Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham, saying the two players should not be judged against each other.

“They are different players, and I do not think they should be compared in the first place,” he said.

During the same interview, Pique predicted a convincing Barcelona victory, forecasting a 4-1 win over Real Madrid in Sunday’s meeting.

He also described Barcelona as the best team in the world at present, saying they were well ahead of their nearest rivals.

Barcelona currently lead the La Liga table with 27 points, having taken the maximum available total from their opening nine matches. Real Madrid are third, six points behind their rivals, after suffering defeats by Real Betis and Atletico Madrid.

Real Betis beat Real Madrid 1-0, while Atletico Madrid recorded a 2-1 victory over them. Those results have left the Madrid side facing a six-point gap to Barcelona before the latest edition of El Clasico.