Barcelona are the more desperate side as Real Madrid visit Catalonia today for the first El Clasico of the season boasting a six-point lead at the top of La Liga.
Real Madrid have won 15 more points in all in La Liga under the guidance of Zinedine Zidane since the sides last met in April and are riding a 31-game unbeaten run in all competitions.
“On Saturday, we have more to play for than Madrid, they can lose, we can’t,” Barcelona defender Gerard Pique said.
Photo: Reuters
Barca are off to their worst league start in nine seasons.
However, coach Luis Enrique believes much of the media criticism of his side has been overblown, citing the institutional crisis that Barca overcame in the January of his debut season last year to win the treble.
“We remain favorites for all the titles, but it is evident we have to improve,” Enrique said. “We lack consistency, but don’t exaggerate. In my first season you [the media] exaggerated and we ended up winning the treble.”
The biggest match in soccer is expected to capture an audience of 650 million people worldwide, according to figures released by La Liga.
“I am not going to say it is just another game, it is a very important match, it has a special meaning … a special taste,” Real Madrid president Florentino Perez said. “No one hides that it has a worldwide impact, it is seen by millions of people across the world, like the World Cup final.”
Yet, the composed Zidane refused to accept that a first La Liga title in five years would be Madrid’s to lose should they claim a victory at the Camp Nou.
“I am not thinking about the consequences,” Zidane said after giving a goalscoring debut to his son, Enzo, in Real Madrid’s 6-1 Copa del Rey thrashing of Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa on Wednesday. “We are thinking about preparing well for the game and, whatever happens, it will not be decisive.”
Both sides are blighted by injury concerns.
Real Madrid will be without Gareth Bale with the Welshman now set to miss up to four months after an ankle operation, whilst Toni Kroos is also sidelined with a broken foot.
Tough tackling midfielder Casemiro made his first appearance in two months in midweek, and could come into contention to partner the Croatian duo of Luka Modric and Mateo Kovacic.
Cristiano Ronaldo has shot to the top of La Liga’s goalscoring charts once more with five in his past two league outings and looks set to be partnered by Karim Benzema and Lucas Vazquez in Bale’s absence.
Barca are sweating on the fitness of Jordi Alba and Pique, who both struggled through the 90 minutes in a 1-1 draw at Real Sociedad described as a “miracle” by Enrique given the state of Barca’s display.
However, the champions will be hugely boosted by the return of captain Andres Iniesta, while the front three of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar are all fit to start.
The pressure was already on Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso before their 2-1 defeat to Manchester City on Wednesday in the UEFA Champions League raised further questions about his future. Arsenal remain perfect in this season’s competition and three points clear at the top of the standings after a 3-0 win against Club Brugge, while defending champions Paris Saint-Germain were held 0-0 at Athletic Bilbao. The clash between Madrid and City was the standout game of the round amid reports this week that Alonso had lost control of the locker room. Speculation over his position is likely to intensify after the latest
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