Five Key Factors That Will Decide El Clasico
There are many decisive factors in El Clasico, but Andreas Vou has found the most important.
By Andreas Vou (@AndreasVou89)
Another enthralling meeting between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona awaits us at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday.
As ever, there is plenty to talk about in the build up so we have narrowed it down to five key points to mull over going into El Clasico:
Can and should Barça do it without Lionel Messi?
The question on everyone’s mind is whether Lionel Messi will make the Clasico in time. The Argentine magician has been out of action since the end of September but has been training with the Barcelona B team this week to speed up the process. The signs are good so far but if he is not ready to start, can Barça do it without him if necessary?
All 16 league goals that Barça have scored since Messi’s injury have been equally shared between Neymar and Luis Suarez, and those in the Catalan capital who initially feared of the possibility of entering the big game without Messi are no longer so worried due to the excellent form of the other two frontmen.
Of course, Barça are even stronger with Messi but if the Argentine is still not 100 per cent fit would his presence from the start be beneficial to the cause or a hindrance? What is certain is that if he is ready to play, Messi will demand to do so but, if not, Suarez and Neymar can handle the job themselves.
Does Rafael Benitez attack or stand back?
Like Messi, Karim Benzema is facing a race against time for Saturday’s clash. If the Frenchman is available then Rafa Benitez has a big decision on his hands; he either attempts to take the game to Barça by lining up with three forwards – Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo and Benzema – or instead he opts for a more reserved approach to combat his rivals’ attacking threat.
Benitez will be under pressure to take the game to Barça but he may have to focus on keeping things tight in midfield to attempt to contain the Catalans’ attacking arsenal. The former Liverpool boss prefers a more reserved approach and it has so far worked well, with Madrid conceding just seven all season, but he risks facing the wrath of a demanding home faithful if things do not go according to his meticulous plan.
Casemiro vs. Andres Iniesta is the rookie against the master
Barring any surprises, Casemiro will make his first Clasico appearance, and what a massive task the youngster will have on his hands. Barça traditionally control the midfield in these games, and so Benitez is likely to deploy the 23-year-old to steady the tide.
The new boss has shown huge faith in the Brazilian, starting him in each of the last eight games, and is Madrid’s best hope of doing some much needed dirty work in the middle of the park.
On the other end of the spectrum is Andres Iniesta, who has made the most Clasico appearances of any player taking to the field on Saturday having competed in 31 Madrid-Barça clashes. His majestic ability coupled with his experience of everything the fixture entails will make it a particularly tough job for Casemiro. The winner of this personal duel will have a significant impact on who wins the match.
Ronaldo has to perform
On paper, eight goals in the first eleven games looks like a good start to a league season but on the field Ronaldo has been far from his usually sky-high standards this campaign. With five of those eight goals coming in one game, Ronaldo has fired blanks in seven of Real Madrid’s eleven La Liga matches.
The Portuguese superstar has gone missing in the two biggest games of the season so far, in the win against PSG and the defeat to Sevilla, and is therefore due a big performance. Ronaldo has spent the last fortnight promoting his self-title movie but a far brighter spotlight will be on him on Saturday.
Luis Suarez is the key player
A year on from making his Barça debut at the Bernabeu in a 3-1 defeat, Suarez returns as the main man to watch this time around.
The Uruguayan is in a rich vein of form with eight goals in his last six league games and scoring in the last four matches on the spin, making him an almost impossible force to contain at the moment.
He was the difference between the sides at the Camp Nou in March, grabbing the winner at a spell when Barça were under the cosh with two magic touches, first to bring the ball down followed by another to guide the ball home to give the Catalans a 2-1 win.
Matches such as these are so often determined by the small details and if anyone has the ability to change a game with a moment of pure instinct, it is Suarez.
