The venue – Camp Nou. The atmosphere – Electric. It’s one of the biggest rivalry, not only in Spain, but around the world. With Vilanova and Mourinho no longer on the sidelines, and exciting addition of Bale, Isco and Neymar, a lot has changed in the two sides from their previous league meetings. New Coaches, new tactics and different approach towards the game than that of Mourinho and Tito. While Atletico are a surprise addition to the “two horse” race that La Liga is presumed to be, a Madrid win could leave both Barca and Madrid behind Atletico, provided they win. A Barca win would send them 6 points clear off the Los Blancos and would boost the confidence of Tata Martino.
The Managers:
While Ancelotti would be well known to fans across the world after his stint at AC Milan and Chelsea, Gerardo Martino is not that known a figure. Having a decent run as coach of Paraguay during World Cup 2010 and Copa America 2011, he is considered to have a bit defensive – counter attacking style of football, which was evident when Barca had their possession less than the opponents for the first time in 5 years against Rayo. On the other hand, Ancelotti is still looking for his formidable formation, with 4-3-3 used as the third one this season.
The Bale – Ozil – Isco – Morata conundrum vs. The Neymar factor:
With Bale probably doubtful, Di Maria and Isco looks probable starters. The tough call would be who would start upfront, as Morata and Benzema both can hunt Barca down. Having sold Ozil to Arsenal, who is in tremendous form, it is to be seen how well can Madrid get past the solid pivot of Busquets, one of the underrated players in Blaugrana side. Barca will probably have Neymar and Sanchez starting with Messi upfront. Neymar, playing his first Classico will have an uphill task hoping to provide something different and exciting to the one lakh Cules behind him.
The Fragile Defence vs. The Pace that can hurt:
Barca have struggled against the pace of Real, and this couldn’t be a different story if Pique – Mascherano pair starts. Madrid’s pace along the flanks and centre can really hurt Barca, and how well Barca defend might eventually be a deciding factor in this game.
And Finally:
Is the Classico complete without this individual rivalry? They have been the deciding factor in the past few ones, since the Golden boy has donned the white jersey and this time it might again boil down to their individual performance. With 12 goals and 3 assists, Messi is behind Ronaldo this season in all competitions who has 15 goals and 2 assists. But El Classico is when both rise to the occasion and with the Blaugrana faithful behind him, it might be a different story.
Here’s hoping for a fair and exciting game, a delight for the neutrals and a game to remember!