El Clasico: Madrid, Barca in La Liga Title Decider

As Real Madrid go into the first Clasico of the season against Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu today under intense pressure to win, a loss will see their title bid for the 2017-18 campaign all but over. An inconsistent start to the season, paired with an unbeaten run for Barca, sees Los Blancos 11 points behind the league-leading Blaugrana

R eal Madrid looked poised to sweep Barcelona away in La Liga after beating them so comprehensively in the Spanish Super Cup in August yet by the end of today’s ‘Clasico’ they could be a remarkable 14 points behind their bitter rivals.
Coach Zinedine Zidane has overseen Real’s worst run of results in the league in nine seasons and his side go into today’s encounter at the Santiago Bernabeu sitting fourth in the standings, 11 points adrift of Barca albeit having played one game fewer.
It is a scenario few could have foreseen after Real won a Liga and Champions League double last term and began this season so convincingly.
Seemingly the only positive Real will take onto the pitch today is that they are still world champions after retaining the Club World Cup last weekend with victory against Gremio in the final.

Barca coach Ernesto Valverde looked in a vulnerable position in August after the resounding 5-1 aggregate defeat to Real so soon after succeeding Luis Enrique, especially with Brazil forward Neymar having left for Paris St Germain.
Yet the Spaniard has moulded the team into a highly resilient outfit who are unbeaten in their last 24 games in all competitions.
Barca may not have the same creative spark as in recent seasons and have on occasion been accused of being boring, but they have developed a tougher edge under former Athletic Bilbao coach Valverde, conceding only seven goals in 16 games.
“After losing the Super Cup we knew that we had to work as hard as ever and all follow Valverde, who I think has started to leave his stamp on the team,” Barca goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen told Spanish newspaper El Pais.
“He has been watching us for a long time and he knew what he needed to do to improve us. That vision has served us well, we are very good defensively and we need to keep that up, or improve it, for the rest of the season so we can stay up there.”

Barca captain Andres Iniesta said his side had erased the humbling 3-1 and 2-0 defeats to Real in the Super Cup from their memories but he does not think his side’s big lead in the standings will have much bearing on the pitch on Saturday.
“That is in the past, we’re in another competition and in a different moment. It’s a completely different game and nothing to do with how we were back then,” Iniesta told Marca. “I don’t look at the league table before a ‘Clasico’. They are unique games and form has no impact. We know what’s at stake and we’ll try to take an important step towards winning the league.”
Meanwhile, Real Madrid Captain, Sergio Ramos has talked up the importance of his side claiming a win over Barcelona. With the La Liga champions trailing their fierce rivals by 11 points in the top flight, Los Blancos captain said this weekend’s fixture is a must-win game for the hosts.
“It will be a great match. There are no words to describe the Clasico.  It is totally different, and the most important game in the world. We are obliged to win now more than ever due to the situation we find ourselves in, in order to remain in the fight for La Liga.”

However, should Madrid win to move back within eight points and five if they win their game in hand they will be back in the championship conversation.
Real can take confidence from the fact they beat Barca twice before the league season began in both legs of the Spanish Super Cup. They also have Cristiano Ronaldo back in fine form having netted eight times in his last seven appearances in all competitions.
But Barca are high on confidence having not lost since the second leg of the Super Cup, while Luis Suarez has also returned to goalscoring form recently.
As noted by Ramos, it is set to be a huge occasion and a match Real cannot afford to lose.

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