Real Madrid icon heaps praise on Barcelona’s start to the season: ‘They are playing very well’

Real Madrid icon heaps praise on Barcelona’s start to the season: ‘They are playing very well’ Barcelona have enjoyed a sensational start to the new campaign, sitting top of LaLiga with a perfect record. Hansi Flick’s side have collected 21 points from a possible 21, scoring 31 goals along the way, and hold a six-point lead over Real Madrid. That form has caught the eye of Real Madrid legend Luis Figo, who was full of praise for the Catalans in a recent interview. Figo lauds Barcelona Speaking to Radio MARCA (h/t Mundo Deportivo ), Figo, a UEFA adviser but a man with strong Real Madrid ties, acknowledged just how impressive Barcelona have been. Flick’s Barcelona has impressed Luis Figo. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images) “They have started very strong. They’re winning, they’re playing very well, they’re scoring goals,” he said about Barcelona. However, the Portuguese was quick to stress that the season remains long. “You have to see how the season goes, which is very long,” he noted, before applauding the overall standard in Spain. “ For Spanish football, logically, it is good.” Figo, who has not lost faith in Real Madrid, was convinced Los Blancos would fight until the very end despite their six-point deficit. “Surely Madrid will compete until the end. This is a competition that has to be regular until May. There will be highs and lows during the season. “When there are lows you have to have the maturity and also the quality to overcome them and move on,” he added. Figo on the Ballon d’Or and Mbappe Luis Figo is not endorsing any particular name for the Ballon d’Or. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images for Laureus) On the Ballon d’Or, whose voting closes on Monday, the former winger was diplomatic and did not endorse anyone, though he did mention Kylian Mbappe. “Who has the power to decide is the one who votes. You have to wait to see what happens. I don’t vote, so I don’t have that problem in my head,” he said. Finally, Figo reserved praise for Kylian Mbappe. “He is always at a very high level. He’s one of the best in the world, to score goals,” he concluded. Despite Figo’s praise, Lamine Yamal leads the trends so far, with Barcelona teammate Rodri and Bayern Munich star Harry Kane also in the running. Barcelona, for their part, have firmly backed Yamal’s bid but it will be interesting to see the final outcome.