Sunday traditional Between Actual Madrid and Barcelona on the Bernabeu – Dwell broadcast, 4PM ET, ESPN+ It is probably not decisive when it comes to the race for the LaLiga title, nevertheless it’s nonetheless a fierce rivalry with lots at stake. (The traces, from Caesars: +110 for Actual Madrid, +225 for Barcelona, +265 for a tie.) For Actual Madrid, that is the final actual hurdle between them and successful the league, whereas for Barcelona, Xavi has an ideal efficiency. Probability to indicate how briskly Blaugrana Ongoing revolution.
Which crew has the benefit? Who’re the gamers almost certainly to determine the competitors? Which direct confrontations will probably be decisive? Alex Kirkland (Actual Madrid) and Sam Marsden (Barcelona) broke the match from each side.
Go to: Massive Questions | Fascinating stats | Group gamers | Face-to-face matches | predictions
Table of Contents
The massive query for every crew
How does Actual Madrid cope with A traditional Which fits with them 10 factors on the prime of the desk and 15 factors above Barcelona? This match is all the time, all the time Vital, however this time it is not going to be decisive within the title race.
Sevilla, their closest rival, seems to be drifting away, and with 10 matches remaining it’s exhausting to think about a state of affairs by which the champion wouldn’t find yourself. So whereas a win towards a rookie Barcelona could be trigger for celebration, a draw could be positive and a slim loss wouldn’t be trigger for panic.
Karim Benzema’s availability – on the time of writing, suspecting a calf drawback that surfaced in Madrid’s 3-0 win over Actual Mallorca – will probably be an necessary issue. Actual Madrid depend on Benzema to dictate their attacking type. In his absence final month, coach Carlo Ancelotti has experimented with Marco Asensio, Isco and Gareth Bale within the position with various levels of success.
The temptation is to choose Benzema even when he is not fairly match, however is {that a} danger with La Liga and Champions League wins on the horizon?
Al-Sayyad: How did Xavi flip Barcelona?
– Lowe: How does Modric stay the important thing to Actual Madrid?
Kirkland, Marsden: What do you see within the girls? classics
Can Barcelona management the match and preserve the ball out of the crew’s purpose as a lot as attainable? Underneath the management of Xavi Hernandez, Barcelona have improved the three “PS” (possession, positioning and urgent), however they’re nonetheless removed from the ultimate article. With out the ball, counterattack groups can nonetheless exploit their weaknesses, and Madrid certainly matches into this class. There have been already indicators of Barcelona enhancing when the 2 groups met within the Spanish Tremendous Cup in January. However ultimately, Actual Madrid picked him up within the second half to attain an extra time win in Saudi Arabia.
Barcelona’s upward trajectory has continued over the previous two months and, with some additional effectivity in entrance of purpose, they’ve been in a position to comfortably break up Atletico Madrid, Valencia, Napoli and Athletic Bilbao, scoring 4 objectives towards all of them. The problem towards Madrid will actually be a check of how far they’ve come.
If they’ll clear the ball away from Carlo Ancelotti’s aspect, get it again shortly after they lose and restrict the counter-attack, which they’ve carried out in latest video games towards an inferior opponent, then there is no such thing as a cause why they should not finish their arid profession – Barcelona have not crushed their La Liga rivals since 2019 – on this match. .
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Hole and Jules talk about stories linking AC Milan’s Frank Kessie to Barcelona.
Consideration stats head to Sunday
Actual Madrid are enjoying their finest El Clasico efficiency in years, having gained the final 5 matches in all competitions. The final crew to dominate the rivalry to date was Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona, who gained 5 consecutive objectives between 2008 and 2010, together with a 6-2 win on the Bernabeu and 5-0 on the Camp Nou.
Benzema is a good attacking participant in LaLiga, topping the listing of objectives (22) and assists (11) in addition to anticipated objectives (17.2), objectives with out penalty kicks (17), photographs (89), photographs on purpose (38) and assists. Within the penalty space (72). (All stats from FBRef.)Vinicius Junior’s breakout season is bolstered by numbers, too. The winger dribbled previous 97 gamers – his closest rival, Rayo Vallecano’s Oscar Trejo, has 61 – and carried the ball into the penalty space 78 instances, far forward of Betis participant Nabil Fekir by 48.
Surprisingly, goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois would not have the very best blocking share in LaLiga – 78.4% comes second to 80% from Bono Sevilla – however elsewhere, Actual Madrid’s gamers are forward in a variety of key classes. Toni Kroos is the participant who performed probably the most passes within the final third (207, forward of Barcelona’s Sergio Busquets), and Casemiro gained probably the most tackles (60).
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Xavi’s hallmarks within the Barcelona crew are extra clearly evident in how the crew regained its urgent type, however the greatest enchancment was in entrance of purpose. The signings of Ferran Torres, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Adama Traore in January notably helped on this regard: Torres has already scored 5 objectives in all competitions, whereas Aubameyang has notched six. Traore’s contribution contributed to setting objectives, with 4 assists in six matches.
Objectives have been an enormous drawback for Barcelona earlier than January. Of their first 21 league video games this season, they scored 32 objectives. Against this, they’ve scored 20 objectives of their final six LaLiga matches. Objectives at the moment are flying from in every single place as effectively, with Riqui Puig being the quantity 22 participant to attain for them within the league this season when he netted a purpose final weekend. Not many alternative gamers have scored for the membership in the identical season in La Liga.
These objectives contributed to a four-game successful streak within the league and 12 consecutive unbeaten video games, with Xavi on the helm of the crew, as they rose from ninth to 3rd. The final time they misplaced a sport in common time was in December towards Bayern Munich, having misplaced solely twice in 18 matches since shedding extra time.
The gamers almost certainly to make a distinction are…
Though Benzema and Vinicius usually seize the headlines, there’s a robust argument that Courtois has been probably the most constant and necessary participant at Actual Madrid this season. The goalkeeper has conceded solely 21 objectives in 28 La Liga matches to date, has stored 12 clear sheets, and ensures one very good save in each match.
Courtois’ type helped cut back the impression of Madrid’s typically shaky protection. David Alaba and Eder Militao are wonderful gamers, however each will not be proof against unintended errors, whereas harm issues to Dani Carvajal and Ferland Mendy have left the crew uncovered at full-back.
In midfield, Luka Modric stays massively influential, offering dynamism and ahead momentum mixed with Kroos’ rhythmic passes and Casemiro’s assertive performances. Modric excelled towards Paris Saint-Germain final week after which rested towards Mallorca with traditional in consideration. Watching the Croatian tackle Barcelona’s two children, Pedri and Jaffe – mixed ages, 19 and 17, going as much as 36 – needs to be enjoyable.
Xavi’s focus has been on the group since taking the helm. “The stress is just not negotiable,” he stated on Wednesday. “There is no such thing as a place for anybody who is just not able to push. The group is extra necessary than another particular person.”
If Sergio Busquets performs effectively, that often means Barcelona is enjoying effectively too. There was quite a lot of controversy surrounding the membership’s captain this season. Can he nonetheless carry out towards the very best? Does he fall? Though there was one other query, requested earlier within the marketing campaign, which now appears extra related: Why is Busquets higher for Spain than Barcelona?
It is all about type. Underneath Luis Enrique with the nationwide crew, he performed higher as a result of the system suited him. With Xavi, it’s now additionally the case with Barcelona once more. It’s true that on the age of 33 he’s more and more dealing with him, however it’s also true that Busquets is at his finest, stealing balls excessive up the sector and giving them to extra inventive gamers, often an indication that Barcelona are enjoying effectively.
Elsewhere, the €55m signing of Torres shortly proved to be Barcelona’s essential striker. His motion and intelligence tremendously improved the crew’s offensive output, and whereas ending touches upset him at instances, Xavi did not fear. “The objectives will come,” says the coach.
Face-to-face matches
Mendy’s groin harm means it might be Marcelo left-back towards Ousmane Dembele or Adama Traore on Barcelona’s proper flank. Simply interested by it might be his madridista Frightened.
Marcelo, 33, is without doubt one of the membership’s legends, however there is a cause he will not renew his contract when it expires this summer time. The Brazilian has all the time been more than pleased to hitch in assault slightly than protection – and that also is, as evidenced by the cross he supplied for Benzema to attain with a header towards Mallorca on Monday – however he’s more and more struggling to get again into place after these. Frequent forays ahead.
There is no such thing as a doubt that Barcelona will goal Actual Madrid’s left aspect if Marcelo begins, and the concept of Dembele or Traore rioting on that wing is a practical one. He’ll want assist from midfield – the signing of Fede Valverde will present cowl – and Vinicius must come again too.
It will likely be an attention-grabbing midfield battle as Barcelona’s children, Pedri, Jaffe and Frenkie de Jong, together with veteran Busquets, attempt to outdo Madrid’s skilled trio of Casemiro, Modric and Kroos. Equally necessary, although, would be the match on the wings. Dani Alves’ head-to-head with fellow Brazilian Vinicius needs to be notably attention-grabbing.
Vinicius, 21, is having fun with an distinctive season and will probably be working exhausting for Alves. Nevertheless, what Elvis could lack – and he is in no way gradual – he makes up for in expertise. How he offers with Vinicius to the left of Madrid and the way Barcelona generally offers with Madrid’s counter-attack can decide the end result of this match.
Actual Madrid 1-1 Barcelona: Sure, it is a bit of a sabbatical, however given the circumstances, the consequence will probably be blissful for Actual Madrid: it retains them on monitor for the title, whereas Barcelona wants a consequence as they appear to safe fourth place. Each groups are in fine condition and assured, however the similarities finish there: Madrid are a well-established, environment friendly and considerably predictable aspect below Ancelotti, whereas Xavi’s Barcelona has emerged as one thing thrilling and thrilling. We count on Barcelona to take the match to Madrid and dominate possession, however danger exposing themselves to counter-attacks, simply as we noticed when the 2 groups final met at Supercopa in January. – Kirkland Actual Madrid 2-3 Barcelona: Whereas there’s all the time stress on groups in traditional, each teams of gamers could really feel there’s little this time round. It might take an enormous meltdown for Madrid to lose the league from right here, whereas Barcelona’s return to the extent ought to safe them fourth place within the Champions League in Might. Confidently, you will miss out on the distinction. Logic assumes {that a} steady Madrid squad will be capable to climate the storm in Barcelona, however the Blaugrana are consistently enhancing and filled with confidence heading to the Santiago Bernabeu this weekend. Their shedding run towards Madrid ought to come to an finish in some unspecified time in the future. – Marsden
Prediction time!
