Club football returns this weekend after the international break with
the world’s biggest game today when Barcelona host Real Madrid in final
league El Clásico of the season. Ordinarily an El Clasico at the time of
the season should have gone for a La Liga title decider, but it would
not be so today as Barcelona are already a runaway leader having
established a nine-point lead between them and second placed Atletico
and 10 points separates them from arch rival, Real Madrid. Therefore,
the pressure that usually characterizes the El Clasico might not be
witnessed in today’s encounter as both teams would be playing just for
pride. However, there is an interesting twist to the game-The last four
coaches of Madrid have always lost their first El Clasico, and Zinadine
Zidane would be very much conscious of this and would want to break the
jinx. The race for the pichichi would also add spice to the encounter.
It is no doubt a game for the neutrals to enjoy The 231st El Clasico will take place at
Camp Noutonight when Barcelona welcome Real Madrid in La Liga.The home
side, which are closing on another league crown, will enter the match 10
points clear of third-place Real Madrid and on the back of a 39-game
unbeaten run in all competitions.
Real Madrid have also not won a league
match at Camp Nou since April 2012 and Los Blancos will have revenge on
their mind having taken a 4-0 thumping in the reverse clash at the
Bernabeu earlier this season.
With just eight games left to play in
Spain’s top flight, Barcelona currently boast a nine-point lead at the
top of the table. That gap would become six if Atletico Madrid beat Real
Betis in today’s early kickoff, but it is going to take some effort
from Atletico or third-place Real Madrid to prevent Barcelona from
holding on to their league crown.
Luis Enrique’s side were held to a 2-2
draw at Villarreal in their last league match before the international
break, but that result stretched their unbeaten run in all competitions
to 39 matches. They have not tasted defeat in any match since the start
of October and are well on course to challenge for another treble in the
final weeks of the campaign.
Thirty La Liga matches have brought 24
wins, while they have only lost on two occasions. They are the
second-highest scorers (86) behind Real Madrid (87) and also have the
second-best defensive record (24) behind Atletico (14). Much of their
success has again been down to Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar, but
it has been another team effort from the Catalan giants, who have
arguably surpassed Pep Guardiola’s famous Barcelona side.
The league leaders have gone 22 league
games in a row at Camp Nou without suffering a defeat – recording 20
wins in the process. They have also lost just one of their last seven at
home to Real Madrid in the league.
Today will also see a special tribute to
Johan Cruyff, who passed away last week following a battle with cancer.
The Dutchman represented Barcelona as a player between 1973 and 1978,
before managing the Catalan side between 1988 and 1996. At the helm,
Cruyff led the Spanish giants to four La Liga titles and the 1992
European Cup.
The ‘Gracias Johan’ mosaic will take
place before kickoff and there will also be an applause in the 14th
minute to mark the passing of the legend. Tributes have poured in
throughout the last few days and it will be an emotional night for those
involved. As a player, Cruyff won the Ballon d’Or three times and was
one of the most famous exponents of Total Football.
Barcelona might well have one eye on a
Champions League quarter-final against Atletico Madrid next week, but
defeat against Real Madrid could well blow the title race wide open.
Enrique’s side still have a lot of room for manoeuvre in the final weeks
though.
While Barcelona are in the hunt for
another treble, Real Madrid’s season could well be defined by the
Champions League. An 11th European Cup might well soften the blow of
another disappointing league campaign, but the fact that Los Blancos
have won just one La Liga crown since the 2007-08 season will be a huge
concern to president Florentino Perez.
Real Madrid do have 32 La Liga titles to
Barcelona’s 23, but they have had to watch Barcelona and Atletico share
the trophy in recent seasons. Carlo Ancelotti was unable to wrestle the
crown from Camp Nou andZinedine Zidane will surely fail this time
around. It is not as if the Madrid giants have been well off the pace in
the league, with only four defeats from their 30 matches bringing them a
respectable total of 66 points at this stage of the campaign.
It does appear that the title will be
beyond them for another campaign, but the supporters will be desperate
to finish above Atletico, who currently sit one spot and one point above
their rivals. Real Madrid have actually won their last four in the
league, which is their best run with Zidane in charge. Since losing 1-0
at home to Atletico at the end of February, the Whites have beaten
Levante, Celta Vigo and Las Palmas, before thumping Sevilla 4-0 last
time out.
Injuries have hurt Real Madrid in recent
months, but with Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema back to join the
league’s top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo in the final third, it is starting
to look a lot healthier for the Madrid club. Indeed, their fixture list
also looks very healthy as they prepare to face Eibar, Getafe and Rayo
Vallecano in three of their next four in Spain’s top flight.
Zidane has also been able to have the
likes of Benzema and Bale at the club’s training ground during the
international break and his team also have one day more than Barcelona
to prepare for their Champions League quarter-final. With respect to
Wolfsburg, it was a favourable draw for Los Blancos and the season could
still bring European success.
Sevilla, Barcelona, Villarreal and
Atletico are the four teams to have beaten Real Madrid in the league
this season and they have only won two of their last six with Barcelona
in all competitions. Beating the so-called smaller teams in La Liga has
not been a problem for the Madrid giants over the last couple of
seasons, but their record against the bigger sides has rightly been
called into question. Today will provide the perfect opportunity to save
some face.
Barcelona defender Jeremy Mathieu could
miss the remainder of the season after suffering a serious knee injury
while on international duty with France, butGerard Pique and Javier
Mascherano are both fit to feature.
Enrique will however have to assess the
fitness of Suarez, Neymar, Messi and Dani Alves, who travelled back from
South America following international duty.
Andres Iniesta was not called into the
latest Spain squad after suffering with a slight muscular problem, but
the midfielder is expected to start alongside Sergio Busquets and Ivan
Rakitic in Enrique’s strongest XI this weekend.
As for Madrid, Zidane’s main call is
expected to come in midfield, where Brazilian Casemiro is favourite to
start ahead of Isco and James Rodriguez, who have struggled to impress
under the Frenchman.
Sergio Ramos returned early from Spain
duty after complaining of a back problem, but the Los Blancos skipper is
expected to start alongside Pepe, who came through international duty
with Portugal free from injury.
Benzema and Bale are both expected to
join Ronaldo in the final third, leaving the likes of Lucas Vasquez
and Jese Rodriguez in reserve.
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