The latest installment of the much anticipated el clasico kicks off on Saturday at the Nou Camp with the Spanish league title still very much up for grabs.
Barcelona comes into the fixture trailing their rivals by four points, but in prime position to blow the title race wide open with a victory over Real Madrid. Los blancos’ last league victory inside the Catalan football cathedral came way back in December 2007, the same season that saw them win the first of back to back La Liga titles.
Since then, Real have endured a torrid run of form against Barcelona and watched their bitter rivals win seven domestic honours, four in Europe and two FIFA Club World Cups. Real have only collected one Copa del Rey during that time.
This match always provides plenty of entertainment for the neutral observer, and exerts fierce emotion from both sets of supporters. Recently the fixture has become somewhat watered down by the amount of meetings between the two historic clubs — they’ve met five times already this season with Barcelona yet to taste defeat (three wins). Still, it rarely disappoints and always provides some controversy.
Despite the statistics, it is the visitors who are situated at the head of the table and in command of their destiny. Jose Mourinho has tried a multitude of strategies and formations, shuffling through his many player options, but never quite finds the right formula to beat his former employers, managing a single victory in nine matches against Barcelona. The Portuguese boasts a trophy cabinet filled with 18 pieces of silverware from four different countries in his 12- year managerial career. But he is used to winning, and being second-best season after season is starting to test his patience, as rumours continue to swirl about his Madrid future.
Pep Guardiola has amassed 13 titles in almost four seasons as first team manager, and consistently out manoeuvres Mourinho when going head to head.
Of course, the managerial battle takes a back seat to the coming together of arguably the two best players of this generation. Who is better Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo? It depends on who you talk to, but the two will forever be linked and compared, sometimes unfairly. They have met in 12 clasico’s, with Messi compiling seven goals to Ronaldo’s five. Clearly, the thrown belongs to Messi, but Ronaldo is a close second.
What makes this latest encounter all the more enticing is both are coming off devastating losses in the semifinals of the Champions League. Barcelona was the last team to beat Real prior to Tuesday, and that came back in December, while the Catalans’ previous defeat came in early February at the hands of Osasuna. It will be interesting to see the strategy both managers use in the match, and what type of impact the final result has on their European ambitions as well.
If Real Madrid wins…
Game, set and match for los blancos. Mourinho will finally conquer Guardiola in the league and banish his Barcelona demons, opening up a seven-point advantage and depending on the final score, could also hold the crucial tie-breaker. If Mourinho plans on leaving Madrid in the summer, this would be the best possible scenario to depart. And if he could add a European Cup to the trophy cabinet as well, they might even throw him a parade.
If Barcelona wins…
It will blow the title race wide open, with four matches remaining and only a single point separating the two rivals. For the neutrals, this would be the ideal result. Madrid has laid claim to top spot since the beginning of November, with Barcelona trailing closely behind. The margin stretched to 10 points in early February, so to lose the title now would be devastating and extremely embarrassing. A trip to San Mames to face Athletic Bilbao is the fixture that sticks out as a potential slip-up for los blancos. If Barcelona can win all their remaining games, even a draw by Real in Bilbao would see the defending champions crowned for a fourth consecutive season.
If the match ends in a draw…
The saga continues. Barcelona will have four matches to make up four points. Looking at their remaining fixtures, the final two hurdles could possibly see them drop crucial points, hosting Espanyol and an away trip to Real Betis. Remember, the previous Catalan derby ended in a draw, and Betis came back from a two-goal deficit at the Nou Camp, before eventually losing the match. Nevertheless, playing in Andalusia under pressure could be a toxic mixture. Anything but a Barca victory on Saturday will see the title change hands and lifted at the Santiago Bernabeu on May 13th.
Thomas Michalakos is a former associate producer with Sportsnet’s Soccercentral and writes the weekly blog Soccerholic365. Follow Thomas on Twitter.