Leandro Hernández on the Superclásico: "Colo Colo always goes out to win"

There are only a few hours left until the Superclásico, and in Macul, nobody is talking about anything else. Colo Colo hosts Universidad de Chile on Sunday with its mind set on just one result, and the man saying so is no minor figure: Leandro Hernández, one of the names who has grown the most this season in the Colo Colo attack, sat down with the club's official channels and left no doubt about the goal.

The 21 year old forward acknowledged the archrival's strong form, but without losing sight of what this match means for a team that currently sits as the sole leader of the Liga de Primera. He speaks with the calm of someone who knows his team is at full strength and confident, something that isn't always the case heading into a clásico.

They're a team that plays well, obviously they're the rival, but we're also in good form, we've been leaving everything out there in every match, so we're going to go out to win, Colo Colo always goes out to win.Leandro Hernández

Beyond the special edge that any match against U brings, Hernández was clear about something that seems obvious but sometimes gets lost in the excitement of a clásico: the title isn't decided in these ninety minutes alone. That's why he insisted the match has to be approached with the same seriousness as any other game in the championship.

It's hugely important because, beyond it being a clásico, to become champions you have to beat every team, so the match this weekend is super important and we're going to treat it with the same seriousness as any other.Leandro Hernández

A group that feels united

Speaking about the atmosphere inside the squad, the forward was emphatic in highlighting the group's cohesion at this key stage of the season. According to him, that commitment shows in every training session, not just in matches.

"The team is doing really well, super united. We're training at one hundred percent every day, leaving it all out there in every session, so this weekend we plan to do the same. And that's the good thing, that the team is super united," Hernández said, suggesting that for him, group solidity is just as important as individual talent when facing a clásico of this magnitude.

On a personal level, the young winger is also going through a strong stretch, and he doesn't hide it. His role within the team has kept growing match after match, and he's the first to point out exactly what he brings to the project.

"It's what I was looking for, to contribute to the team with goals, with assists, with whatever I can, so I plan to keep doing the same, to keep proving that and to help the team win," he said, summing up in a few words his role within the Colo Colo setup.

The numbers back up that message. This season, Hernández has played 29 matches for Colo Colo, contributing 8 goals and 6 assists, a production level that has made him an increasingly important piece of the Cacique's attack heading into what's next, starting with Sunday's Superclásico.