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Hansi Flick called on his Barcelona players to brush off their Champions League semi-final elimination and bounce back strongly against Real Madrid on Sunday in a vital La Liga Clasico.

Barca lead the Spanish top flight by four points ahead of rivals and defending champions Real Madrid with four matches remaining.

The Catalans were ousted in Europe on Tuesday by Inter Milan, ending dreams of a potential quadruple.

“We spoke about what they (the players) are thinking, what they are feeling, it’s important in a group that we speak about that,” Flick told a news conference Saturday.

“Everyone knows that in a Clasico you have to be on your highest level, that’s what we have to do.

“We want to be active, we want to see the team (play) with intensity on the pitch, dominant as normal, and we know it’s a really fantastic team from Real (against us).”

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Barcelona have beaten Real Madrid in all three Clasicos played this season, beginning with a 4-0 win in La Liga at the Santiago Bernabeu in October.

The Catalans then thrashed Madrid 5-2 in the Spanish Super Cup final in January and edged them 3-2 in extra time in the Copa del Rey final in April.

Even if Barcelona lost, they would still be top of the table by a point, but Flick said his team was out to defeat Los Blancos again.

“We always go into the match to win the match, doesn’t matter about the table,” he added.

“(We’ll) focus on this match, give everything to get three points…

“The Clasico is important for our fans, everyone, for Barca, for the players, for me, my coaching staff, it’s great to play against them and compete against them.”

Barcelona were handed a boost as Alejandro Balde and Marc Casado were passed fit to play on Saturday after injury.

Midfielder Casado has been missing for almost two months after a knee ligament injury, while Balde missed the last month with a hamstring problem.

Robert Lewandowski returned from injury to play as a substitute against Inter on Tuesday.

Flick said all three players were more likely to be on the bench on Sunday than to be selected as starters.

“After this match, we have three more matches,” noted the coach.

Iga Swiatek suffered a shock elimination from the Italian Open on Saturday as the reigning Rome champion was dumped out by Danielle Collins 6-1, 7-5.

World number two Swiatek was hunting a fourth title at the Foro Italico but failed to get past the third round of the last major tournament before the French Open.

Collins will now face one of Elina Svitolina or fellow American Hailey Baptiste in the last 16 as the world number 35 hunts an unlikely second WTA 1000 title after winning in Miami last year.

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Swiatek’s early exit is a major shock for the Pole who usually dominates her rivals on clay and has a hugely impressive record in the Italian capital.

The manner of her defeat is another worrying sign ahead of Roland Garros as she was also thrashed in straight sets by Coco Gauff in the semi-finals of the Madrid Open earlier this month.

Swiatek was barely recognisable from the player who has won four French Open titles, being broken four times in the first set and failing to impose herself at all on Collins, against whom she had previously won eight of nine meetings.

Later men’s world number one Jannik Sinner makes his return to action against Argentina’s Mariano Navone following a contested three-month doping ban.

Manchester City were held to a shock goalless draw by relegated Southampton on Saturday, slowing their charge for a Champions League spot as Brentford and Brighton kept up their push for European qualification.

Pep Guardiola’s men were expected to waltz to three points on England’s south coast and pull level with second-placed Arsenal on 67 points.

But although they dominated possession, they could not break the deadlock, despite the return to action of Erling Haaland.

The point for Southampton takes them to 12 for the season, meaning they have avoided the tag of being the joint-worst team in Premier League history.

They are now one point clear of Derby’s tally of 11 in the 2007/08 campaign.

Despite the draw, third-placed City remain well-placed to finish in the top five, which would secure qualification for the Champions League next season.

With two games to play they are four points clear of sixth-placed Nottingham Forest, though their rivals all have a game in hand.

City’s title defence came off the rails in November and December during a season that Guardiola has admitted has been the toughest of his 16-year managerial career.

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The away side dominated possession at St Mary’s Stadium and had 26 shots but managed just five on target during a frustrating afternoon.

Saints had picked up just two points out of a possible 33 in their previous 11 games and were given little chance of getting anything from the match.

Brentford beat already relegated Ipswich 1-0 for their fourth straight win, climbing to eighth in the table, which may be enough for European football next season.

Kevin Schade headed home from Bryan Mbeumo’s corner in the 18th minute for his 11th Premier League goal of the season.

Brighton, also chasing European football, beat Wolves 2-0 at Molineux and are behind Brentford only on goal difference.

Danny Welbeck scored a first-half penalty and Brajan Gruda added a second in the 85th minute to secure the three points.

Everton went into their match on a poor run of form following a sharp uptick when David Moyes returned to manage the club but they have long reached safety in the top flight.

Raul Jimenez put mid-table Fulham ahead at Craven Cottage but Vitalii Mykolenko levelled on the stroke of half-time.

Two second-half goals in three minutes from Michael Keane and Beto made it 3-1.

Aston Villa travel to Bournemouth in the Saturday evening kick-off, still dreaming of securing a Champions League spot for next season.

Fourth-placed Newcastle host Chelsea, a place below them, on Sunday, with Forest in action against relegated Leicester.

Champions Liverpool play Arsenal, who are not yet certain of finishing in the top five despite being the closest challengers to Arne Slot’s men this season.

Carlos Alcaraz kicked off his bid for a first Italian Open title by cruising past Serbian qualifier Dusan Lajovic 6-3, 6-3 in Rome on Friday on his return to action from a thigh injury.

World number three Alcaraz got past Lajovic in one hour and 23 minutes in his first match since suffering the injury in his Barcelona Open final defeat to Holger Rune last month.

The Spaniard showed some signs of ring rustiness with 22 unforced errors but still managed to win the first four games of the match to give Lajovic too much to do in the first set.

And Alcaraz closed out the match in professional style with another quick start in the second set which put him three games ahead, allowing him to serve out for the win.

“Today was a really good day in the office, hopefully tomorrow and Sunday is going to be better,” said Alcaraz.

“Of course I tried to make the most of my time, when I’m not playing tournaments I always try to find the positive things… I could stay at home more with my friends, with my family, recovering and getting a little bit fresh mentally.

“It was a great performance, a great level, which was surprising for me a little bit but I’m just really happy for that.”

Alcaraz will now face one of Alex Michelsen and Laslo Djere in the third round as he eyes a potential final with world number one Jannik Sinner in the Italian capital.

Sinner will make his comeback from a three-month doping ban on Saturday when he takes on Mariano Navone in front of what will be a partisan crowd at the Foro Italico.

Alcaraz later told reporters that he would take it easy on his day off, keep an eye on Sinner’s match and go to watch his friend Patric play for Serie A football club Lazio against Juventus at the nearby Stadio Olimpico.

Sabalenka through 

One of Alcaraz’s potential opponents in the last 16, Grigor Dimitrov, fell at the first hurdle against wild card entrant Francesco Passaro.

Bulgarian Dimitrov, the 14th seed, was beaten 7-5, 6-3 by Italian Passaro, who will take on Roman Burruchaga or Karen Khachanov in the next round.

Last year’s winner Alexander Zverev is in action, against Argentina’s Camilo Ugo Carabelli, in the last match of the day on centre court.

Home hope Lorenzo Musetti opened his week, his first in the top 10 of the men’s world rankings, with a 6-3, 6-2 win over qualifier Otto Virtanen.

In the women’s draw, Aryna Sabalenka cruised past Anastasia Potapova and into the third round with a 6-2, 6-2 victory.

Last year’s beaten finalist and current world number one, Sabalenka swept past Russian Potapova in just over an hour.

“I’d say that the top player is always a favourite,” said a confident Sabalenka.

“I know that if I bring my best game and my fight spirit on court, I know that I can win this tournament.”

Sabalenka will play Sofia Kenin in the next round after the American beat another Russian in Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in straight sets, 6-3, 6-0.

The 27-year-old Sabalenka has reached the final of her last four tournaments, with 1000 series wins in both Miami and Madrid.