Lionel Messi (with a bit of Luis Suarez and Neymar thrown in) vs Cristiano Ronaldo (with a pinch of Karim Benzema and no Gareth Bale), Barcelona vs Real Madrid – enough said really. The biggest, most-awaited club football match is upon us and expect a few tackles, a red card or two maybe (yup, you know Sergio Ramos is going to get one), a lot of unfortunate playacting and hopefully plenty of goals.
Live Blog of Barcelona vs Real Madrid HERE
The Camp Nou will host what should be a hugely contested La Liga battle, with Real Madrid looking to pick up a second straight win at Barcelona's backyard. That win in April, in the end, would have felt a little hollow, because Barcelona went on to win the La Liga title. But, what it would have done is give Real Madrid the belief that Barcelona can be beaten at the Camp Nou, even when their opponents are a man down, like Real were (no prizes for guessing who got sent off).
Zinedine Zidane, since taking over from Rafa Benitez, has done wonders to Real Madrid, without really doing too much. He has made them harder to beat, and when you have a talented attack line, led by Ronaldo, that Real possess, goals are rarely going to be a problem.
However, there have been times in the past when the El Clasico has turned into a bit of a chess match, with neither team willing to take that attacking step in the fear of leaving the back door open.
An early goal always helps in such games, and if either Real or Barca can bulge that net in the first 20 minutes of the contest, we could be in for an El Clasico classic. In the current scenario, Barcelona are the team under pressure to press Real Madrid, with the latter holding a six-point lead atop the La Liga table.
While a draw will not be the end of the world for either team, Barcelona will know, a win and the deficit will be back to a much more manageable three points. To do that, they will need their talismans up front to step up.
No matter how solid a defence has looked in the past, Messi, Suarez and Neymar have the ability and penchant to make even the best back-fours look more porous than a sand castle in a storm. If the trio is in the mood, Real Madrid will find it difficult to stop the goals.
If they are nullified, though, Real have a really good chance of coming away with the three points. As Real Sociedad showed last weekend, this Barcelona team can be dominated by being more proactive. Therefore, the onus will be on Zidane to chalk out the right strategy and put Ronaldo in the best position possible to make the right impact, much like he did the last time these two teams met.
Where to Watch Live
Barcelona vs Real Madrid El Clasico is scheduled for a 4.15pm CET (8.45pm IST, 3.15pm GMT, 10.15am ET) start. Live Streaming and TV information is below.
India TV: Sony Six HD and and Sony Six. Live Streaming: Sonyliv.
Spain: TV: Movistar and Bein La Liga.
USA, Canada, France, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Middle East, Thailand, Malaysia: TV: Bein Sports. Live Streaming: Bein Sports Connect.
UK: No live coverage.
China, Hong Kong: TV: LeTV and PPTV.
Germany, Japan: TV: DAZN.
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