This Sunday afternoon, we’ll see another edition of El Clasico, but first time in many years, it won’t feature neither Cristiano Ronaldo nor Lionel Messi. CR7 has moved to Juventus, while the Messiah is sidelined due to an injury. Of course, both Barcelona and Real Madrid have plenty of good players, so their duel at the Camp Nou is going to be an interesting one. Who’s gonna be the happier side when the ref blows the final whistle? Hopefully this Barcelona vs Real Madrid match preview will help you find the answer!
Barcelona
Even though their best player Lionel Messi got injured in the match against Sevilla last weekend, Barcelona had no problems beating Inter in the Champions League this Wednesday. They beat the Italian team fairly comfortably. The final score was 2:0, but Barca completely dominated the game, so the score could’ve been even higher.
They’re the number 1 favorites for winning La Liga this season and are among the top candidates for the Champions League trophy as well. It’s a totally fair assessment as they’re super-strong even with Messi in the team. Actually, they seem strong in literally every part of the pitch, including the back. And it seems that they have one of the best goalkeepers in the world protecting their net.
Marc ter Stegen does not get too many headlines for a simple fact that Barca is packed with amazing players. But, this goalie has been superb ever since he’s started playing regularly for Barcelona. And it seems that the season 2018/2018 is his best so far. He was simply brilliant against Sevilla and has managed to keep a clean sheet against Inter. I expect him to shine against Real Madrid as well.
Barca got their back covered, but what about the front? In my opinion, with players like Suarez, Coutinho, and Dembele in the team, Barca just need to find the net of Los Blancos at least once in this game. And the fact that they’ve scored in every La Liga El Clasico since 2007 confirms my theory.
Real Madrid
Los Blancos have been dreadful lately and it seems that Lopetegui’s days are numbered. If they lose heavily on Sunday, he’ll probably get fired. And even if Real Madrid do fine in that game, he won’t be entirely safe from getting sacked.
But, enough about the coach; he’s not the only reason why they’re not playing well. Even though they have plenty of amazing players, it seems that they simply miss Ronaldo. After all, he’s the man who used to score 25+ goals per season. And in 2014/2015, he scored a total of 48 goals! Without such player in the team, it’s not strange that they’ve been struggling to score.
And they’ve been struggling a lot. Before scoring two in the Champions League game against Victoria Plzen this Tuesday, Real Madrid played six games in which they scored no more than 1 goal per 90 minutes. But, lack of goals wouldn’t big such a great problem if they haven’t been poor in defense as well. They allowed in every single of their previous 4 matches, counting all competitions.
Team News
Barcelona absentees:
- Samuel Umtiti (injury)
- Lionel Messi (doubtful)
Real Madrid absentees:
- Dani Carvajal (injury)
Possible Lineups
Barcelona
Ter Stegen – Pique, Lenglet, Samedo, Alba – Busquets, Rakitic, Roberto – Dembele, Coutinho, Suarez
Real Madrid
Courtois – Ramos, Varane, Nacho, Marcelo – Casemiro, Kroos, Modric – Asensio, Bale, Benzema
Barcelona vs Real Madrid Match Prediction
Even without Lionel Messi, Barcelona are the better team of the two. I think they will win El Clasico without any major problems.
Barcelona vs Real Madrid Betting Tips
- Barcelona @2.00 (bet365)
- Barcelona -1.5 AH @3.50 (Unibet)