Barcelona vs. Real Madrid: Three Key Battles That Could Decide El Clasico

A historic Clásico is on the horizon, as Barcelona attempt to clinch the La Liga title by beating Real Madrid for the first time ever.

This storied fixture has been decisive in shaping the dynamic at the summit of Spanish soccer for decades, with only Atlético Madrid able to disrupt Barça and Madrid’s hegemony over the top flight since Valencia triumphed in 2003–04.

Hansi Flick’s side have had a hold over Los Blancos since the German came to town, but Madrid did win the reverse fixture while Xabi Alonso was still around. That victory would prove to be no more than a false dawn for Alonso, with Madrid’s indifference excluding that Clásico triumph meaning they’re well adrift of Flick’s well-oiled machine.

The upcoming bout is without its two brightest stars, but there’s still plenty of talent to go around. Here are three battles that could prove key in deciding Sunday’s Clásico in Catalonia.

1. Midfield Supremacy

Both attacks are depleted, but there will be a showcase of dazzling midfielders on Sunday night. Flick has a big selection call to make alongside Pedri, with Gavi, Frenkie de Jong and young Marc Bernal all options.

Fermín López could be used in tandem with Dani Olmo, allowing Barça to create a box in the middle of the pitch to offer easy routes for ball progression. Real Madrid’s muddled defensive structure is likely to suffer against Barça’s central overloads, and the away side will almost certainly enjoy a minute share of possession.

Aurélien Tchouaméni has had a good season, but Madrid still struggle to control games via their usage of the ball against top teams, as they could when Luka Modrić and Toni Kroos were still knocking about.

The hosts’ sophisticated build-up, combined with the technical quality of their midfield, should allow them to play the Clásico on their terms. However, as we’ve seen time and time again in the Champions League, Madrid do not mind relying on moments, and this Barcelona backline will almost certainly offer them openings.

2. Trent Alexander-Arnold vs. Barcelona’s Press

Barcelona are the most vigorous pressers in Spain. Their passes per defensive action of 8.5, per Opta, is comfortably the lowest in La Liga, although Madrid are actually more efficient when they turn the ball over. Los Blancos have scored a league-high 10 times off the back of a high turnover. Barcelona are second with nine.

Anyway, back to the main point.

Álvaro Arbeloa’s approach in the build-up will be interesting because rarely are teams able to scythe through Barcelona from back to front, especially when they don’t have to play three games a week. When Flick’s side are fresh, they’re demonic out of possession and are certainly capable of suffocating the visitors.

Thus, a more direct approach could work for Madrid. Perhaps utilizing Vinicius Junior in tandem with a focal point (Gonzalo García) is the way to go. Instruct Thibaut Courtois to go long, but also funnel possession out to Trent Alexander-Arnold as much as possible.

It’s merely been a so-so debut season for the Englishman, but his destructive passing ability hasn’t escaped him. The right back is capable of unlocking Barcelona’s defensive structure with a delicate swing of his right boot.

3. Real Madrid vs. Themselves

While Madrid have avoided the humiliation of performing a guard of honor for their Clásico rivals, the fact that Barcelona can clinch the title in their faces certainly adds an extra layer of embarrassment for an extremely proud club.

And their preparation for the contest has been horrific. Reports of squad disharmony have been rampant in the Spanish press, and things seemingly came to a head when Federico Valverde and Tchouaméni had it out after training earlier in the week, with the Uruguayan ending up in hospital. Both were fined €500,000 ($592,000).

Valverde misses out this weekend with a head injury suffered in that incident, but Tchouaméni has been included in Arbeloa’s squad. Frustrations are yet to boil over to a notable degree on the field, with a level of calm prevailing over last week’s win over Espanyol. Still, the Clásico, given what’s on the line, may bring out the worst in a group of seemingly mutinous players who have become highly unlikable.

The visitors could be their own worst enemy on Sunday night, with a red card or two borderline inevitable.

READ THE LATEST SOCCER NEWS, ANALYSIS AND INSIGHT FROM SI FC

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow