JAKARTA - The fourth edition of the El Clasico this season will be presented again on Sunday 11 May local time at the Estadi Olvis Lluis Companys. Barcelona will host Real Madrid in a match that can determine the 2024/25 La Liga title.
Currently, Barcelona still leads the standings with a four-point advantage over Real Madrid. If they are able to win, then the title is only one step away from being won by Hansi Flick's side. On the other hand, the victory for Real Madrid will reopen the competition towards the final weeks of the league.
Barcelona have just suffered painful injuries in Europe. In the middle of last week, they were eliminated by Inter Milan in a dramatic Champions League semifinal match. Raphinha had brought the team ahead in the 87th minute, but Inter equalized in extra time before scoring the winning goal in extra time.
With the final aggregate of 7-6, Barcelona's dream of reaching the Champions League final failed. But in the midst of that disappointment, Barcelona still had the opportunity to close the season with their heads held high. They already have two domestic trophies, namely Supercopa de Espamen and Copa del Rey, and are currently on the right track to seal the La Liga title.
Last weekend's 2-1 win over Real Valladolid was the fourth straight win in the league. With the remaining three games against Espanyol, Villarreal, and Athletic Bilbao, just one draw for El Clasico this time will put Barcelona in a very profitable position. Moreover, they have a good record over Real Madrid this season, winning in the previous three meetings, including a landslide 4-0 win at the Santiago Bernabewu last October as well as a win in the two domestic finals.
On the other hand, Real Madrid came into this match with great determination. Carlo Ancelotti's side have been knocked out of the Champions League after being defeated by Arsenal in the quarter-finals, and the defeat in Barcelona's Copa del Rey final made La Liga the only chance remaining to save their season.
Madrid have a longer rest time because they don't play in the middle of the week. They last played in a 3-2 win over Celta Vigo. Four consecutive wins in La Liga became a positive capital, with three of them without conceding.
However, a storm of injuries hit Los Blancos. Their back lines were practically destroyed. Six players were confirmed absent for the remainder of the season, namely Antonio Rudiger, Ferland Mendy, David Alaba, Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, and Eduardo Camavinga.
Ancelotti was forced to conduct experiments, including the possibility of placing Federico Valverde in right-back position. The good news is, Rodrygo has recovered from illness and will be available again. But Arda Göler, who performed brilliantly against Celta Vigo, has a great chance of getting into the starting eleven.
Barcelona also had several injections of strength ahead of this match. Alejandro Balde has returned to training and is expected to immediately fill the left-back post. Robert Lewandowski is also fit and appears from the bench in the match against Inter, and is now ready to appear from the early minutes.
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Meanwhile, Marc-Andre ter Stegen has recovered from injury and will return to guard the goal after previously being replaced by Wojciech Szczesny. In Barcelona, only Jules Kunde and Marc Bernal are confirmed to be absent, while Pablo Torre and Marc Casado are doubtful.
Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior are Real Madrid's main hopes on the front lines. Mbappe will be very motivated because he has never tasted a win against Barcelona since joining Madrid. In three meetings this season, he has always lost. On the Barcelona side, the combination of attack lines between Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, and Raphinha who support Lewandowski will be a real threat to Madrid's patchy defense.
This match is predicted to be as tight and emotional as El Clasico in general. Barcelona certainly wants to end this season with the league title in hand, while Madrid will go all out to extend breath and keep expectations. With a hot atmosphere, star players on both sides, and a high tension that has never been extinguished, El Clasico this time is not just a matter of three points, but also about prestige, self-esteem, and last hope.
If Barcelona win, the championship party is just a matter of time. If Madrid are victorious, then La Liga will heat up again until the last weeks. Who will win? The answer will be determined Sunday night in the city of Barcelona
Barcelona (4-2-3-1): Ter Stegen; E. Garcia, Cubarsi, Martinez, Balde; Pedri, De Jong; Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Raphinha; Lewandowski
Real Madrid (4-2-3-1):Courtois; Valverde, Asencio, Tchouameni, Fran Garcia; Ceballos, Modric; Göler, Bellingham, Vinicius Jr; Mbappe
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