Arguably the biggest sporting rivalry in the world, the El Clasico represents not just two giants in football, but two political ideologies. Barcelona represent Catalonian identity while Real Madrid exude Spanish nationalism. This will also be the first El Clasico after the infamous Catalan referendum which saw the Spanish police crackdown heavily on Catalan voters. Barcelona FC has always been regarded as the unarmed army of Catalonia, and they will be banking on a Barca victory over their bitter rivals to act as solace for old wounds.
A lot is at stake as far as the points table is concerned in La Liga. Barcelona sit comfortably at the top with 42 points from 16 matches while Real are trailing in fourth with 31 points from 15 matches. Although they have a game in hand, it will be imperative for Los Blancos to register a win at home. Barca will be looking to salvage at least a draw from the fixture.
The Catalans are unbeaten all season and have momentum, but Real will be riding on a high after their Club World Cup win. One only needs to take a glimpse at past encounters to say that the 236th El Clasico will involve a lot of hostilities. Barcelona centre-back Gerard Pique will once again be subjected to jeers from Madrid supporters after his infamous outcry against the Spanish crown for the way it handled the referendum in October. It will be interesting to see if Catalan supporters chant for independence 17 minutes and 14 seconds into the match—an allusion to 1714 when Catalonia lost many of its rights after fighting against the Spanish crown—as they have done in the past.
When 22 of the world's best players take the field in a single match, it is hard to single out a few who would make the pivotal difference in the match. But, there are some who still warrant special mention. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo (no surprises there) will be the main focal points for either teams. Messi's taunting celebration (where he held up his shirt to the Bernabéu fans after scoring a last minute winner) in the last El Clasico in La Liga will be stinging in fans' minds. The Argentine has been in fine form this season and will be looking to get his name on the scoring sheet. Cristiano has had a slow start to the season but the Ballon d'Or winner has been in blistering form, scoring five times in the last four matches.
Barcelona's shot stopper Marc Andre Ter Stegen will have a huge role to play, as he did in the previous El Clasico in La Liga. Real Madrid centre midfield player Luka Modric will also have to be on his toes to direct the game from the centre. The Croatian has been instrumental in creating numerous chances for Los Blancos this season. Barca's playmaker Sergio Busquets will also have to be at his best to ensure Barcelona keep possession and hold fort on Real's counter attacks.
Barcelona will be travelling to the capital without some of their main players—Osmane Dembele, Rafinha, Paco Alcacer, Gerard Delofeu and Samuel Umiti. Defense has been a problem for Barca this year and they will be banking on Sergi Roberto and Nelson Semedo to deal with Marcelo's surging runs. Although not as grave as Barcelona, Real too have a few missing names from their illustrious squad—Alvaro Morata, Danilo, James Rodrigues and Pepe have all left for other clubs. Although he hasn't openly admitted it, Zidane knows that this is a must-win game for Los Blancos. Whatever the underlying tensions, for football fans, it will be 90 minutes of pure exhilaration. As Michael Jordan said, “Just play. Have fun. Enjoy the game.”
