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Spanish giants prepare for big match

Few derby matches in the world can match the excitement of Barcelona's clashes with Real Madrid, and the latest edition of this long-running series will be no different.

Adding extra emotion to tomorrow's game -- nicknamed El Classico in Spain -- in the Catalan club's Camp Nou citadel is the fact that Real and Barcelona are first and second in La Liga.

Real have 38 points from 16 matches and a four-point lead over their traditional rivals but Barca will be defending a 100 percent home record this season.

"All the world is talking about this game. They are at home and there is such an intimidating atmosphere that they should have the advantage," said Real captain Raul Gonzalez on Thursday.

"But we were on top for nearly 90 minutes last season and we should have won that game. Our players who were there will remember that experience and use it well," he said, remembering the two sides fought out a thrilling 3-3 draw in March.

The man who spoiled the Real party that night was Lionel Messi, who scored a hat-trick for Barca, including an injury time equalizer that secured a share of the points.

However, Barca will have to do without their inspirational winger as he tore a muscle in his left thigh last weekend.

"With all the injuries we've had this season we've done well to be just four points behind Real," Barca coach Frank Rijkaard said.

At least Rijkaard has recovered French international Thierry Henry, who was cleared to play by club doctors on Thursday after almost a month out of action with back and pelvic problems.

Despite Henry being fit again, Rijkaard is expected to use just two men up front, probably Samuel Eto'o and the Mexican teenager Giovanni Dos Santos.

Sitting alongside Henry on a star-studded Barca bench are expected to be two-time former World Player of the Year Ronaldinho and Portuguese international winger Deco.

Real coach Bernd Schuster could name an unchanged side for a third successive game although he may opt for Gabriel Heinze at left back now that the Argentine international is fit again.

Heinze has plenty of big-match experience at club level after spending three seasons at Manchester United before his summer move to Real.

To understand what brings Spain to a halt twice a season despite the clubs being more than 600km apart, one has take a little lesson in history.

For centuries, there has been bitter rivalry between the regions of Catalonia and Castille, in the center of the country and the home of Real Madrid, which in modern times has engulfed the soccer clubs.

The divide then deepened during the rule of the dictator Francisco Franco, from the start of the Spanish civil war in 1936 until his death almost 40 years later.

For many years during Franco's dictatorship, the only place where the Catalan language could be spoken -- and where Franco's men dare not openly trespass -- was Barcelona's stadium.

After Franco's death in 1975, the rivalry on the pitch has been stoked by saturation TV coverage and four national sports dailies.

Nevertheless, relations between the two clubs have become more cordial in recent years mainly due to the election of Barcelona president Joan Laporta in 2003.

Unlike his predecessors, the suave lawyer has done his best to be civilized towards Real and his opposite number Ramon Calderon has generally responded in kind.

Also lessening the tension a little is the fact that Schuster occupies a peculiar position as one of the few players to be an icon at Real and Barcelona.

He played for Barcelona between 1980 and 1988 before moving to Real for another two seasons and won La Liga and Spanish Cup winner's medals at both clubs.

"I remain a Barcelona supporters club member as I was there for eight years and enjoyed my time immensely. It is something personal for me and I don't want anyone involved with Real to get hot under the collar about it," he said last week.
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