Sergi Roberto believes Barcelona will respond to their 4-2 defeat by Paris Saint-Germain when they face Real Madrid in the 265th El Clasico on Sunday.

The former Barcelona captain, who won 10 of his 21 appearances against Real Madrid, said the two matches should be treated separately.

“I listened to my former teammate Rafinha’s statements yesterday: he said that the 4-2 loss at PSG wouldn’t affect the Clasico at all, and I completely agree,” Roberto told Flashscore in an exclusive interview.

“They’re different competitions and different teams. PSG plays very differently from Real Madrid. Barcelona are playing incredible football, and I think they need to approach this match like it’s any other game.”

Roberto, 34, is preparing for his first El Trafico after joining LA Galaxy from Como. He spent 18 years at La Masia and made 373 appearances for Barcelona, scoring 19 goals and providing 43 assists.

He won seven LaLiga titles, six Copa del Rey trophies, two Champions League medals, three Supercopa de Espana titles, a FIFA Club World Cup and a UEFA Super Cup before leaving in 2024.

His most famous moment came on 8 March 2017, when he scored Barcelona’s last-gasp sixth goal against Paris Saint-Germain to complete a 6-1 comeback after a 4-0 first-leg defeat.

“I’m not a player who scores many goals, but I happened to score that comeback goal, which I think was one of the most special moments for not just me, but for all the Barca fans,” he said.

“It’s a source of pride for me that people remember that moment.”

Roberto also assisted in both league Clasicos in 2017/18, set up two goals in a 5-1 victory over Real Madrid in October 2018 and created Ivan Rakitic’s winner at the Santiago Bernabeu the following March. He scored in Barcelona’s comeback win on 19 March 2023.

He inherited the captaincy after Sergio Busquets left in 2023, then moved to Italy and reunited with Cesc Fabregas at newly promoted Como. Roberto helped the club finish fourth in Serie A in 2025/26 and qualify for the Champions League for the first time, having also captained them to victory over Napoli in the Coppa Italia quarter-final.

“It was a source of pride to take the team from the second division to the Champions League,” he said.

Roberto then moved to Los Angeles, joining LA Galaxy and former Barcelona team-mate Riqui Puig. He has played in eight of their last nine matches, starting six, and assisted in a 2-2 draw with San Diego FC.

LA Galaxy are eighth in the Western Conference, one point above Colorado Rapids and two behind Seattle Sounders, both of whom have a game in hand. They are without a win in their past three meetings with LAFC and have not won a league match at BMO Stadium since 2020.

The derby takes place five hours after El Clasico, with Barcelona potentially moving nine points clear of Real Madrid.