Sunday’s Clasico between Real Madrid and Barcelona at the Bernabeu — stream LIVE, 4 p.m. ET, ESPN+ — might not be decisive in terms of LaLiga’s title race, but it’s still a fiery rivalry with plenty on the line. (The lines, from Caesars: +110 for Real Madrid, +225 for Barcelona, and +265 for the draw.) For Real Madrid, it’s the final real hurdle between them and winning the league, while for Barcelona, Xavi has a great chance to show just how quickly the Blaugrana revolution is going.
Which team has the edge? Which players will likely decide the contest? And which head-to-head matchups will be crucial? Alex Kirkland (Real Madrid) and Sam Marsden (Barcelona) break down the game from both perspectives.
Jump to: Big questions | Interesting stats | Difference-making players | Key head-to-head matchups | Predictions
The big question for each team
How do Real Madrid approach a Clasico that kicks off with them 10 points clear at the top of the table, and 15 points above Barcelona? This fixture always, always matters, but this time it won’t be decisive in the title race.
Sevilla, their nearest challengers, look like they’re slipping away, and with 10 games left it’s hard to imagine a scenario where Madrid don’t end up champions. So while a win against Xavi’s resurgent Barca would be cause for celebration, a draw would be fine and a narrow loss would be no reason to panic.
The availability of Karim Benzema — at the time of this writing, a doubt with a calf problem picked up in Madrid’s 3-0 win at Real Mallorca — will be a significant factor. Madrid rely on Benzema to dictate their forward play. In his absence last month, coach Carlo Ancelotti experimented with Marco Asensio, Isco and Gareth Bale in the role with varying degrees of success.
The temptation is to pick Benzema even if he’s not fully fit, but is that a risk you can take with LaLiga close to being won and the Champions League quarterfinals on the horizon?
– Hunter: How Xavi has turned Barcelona around
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Source : espn
