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By Andreas Vou (@AndreasVou89)

Without fail, every press conference over the last couple of months at the Camp Nou or Santiago Bernabeu has heard the question: “Is the title race still alive?”

FC Barcelona have La Liga seemingly wrapped up, as they sit nine points ahead of Atlético Madrid and ten points ahead of Real Madrid. Luis Enrique, Zinedine Zidane and each of their players who come into the firing line of the now familiar question, insist that the league is still up for grabs, almost trying to convince the media and themselves that it is indeed the case.

Rarely has a Clásico in recent times needed so much promotion from those involved in the title race to convince the public that there is, actually, something at stake. But in the last round of matches, La Liga finally woke up out of standby mode and those half-hearted claims that the title still was indeed still alive now come out with a bit more conviction.

Villarreal managed to peg Barça back from two goals down to earn a draw and second-placed Atlético suffered defeat at Sporting Gijon, bringing Madrid two points nearer to the leaders and within one of their neighbors. And though still a sizeable lead for any table-topper to enjoy at this stage of the season, it still makes a significant difference to Madrid knowing that a win at the Camp Nou would take them within seven points of their rivals, as opposed to nine with seven games left.

Without doubt, this Clásico is all about Los Blancos; if ever there was a must-win game, this is it. Madrid have had a turbulent campaign, with a change of manager at the start of 2016 which began with promise but has shown little change as far as points as concerned, and hopes of a miraculous turnaround in the league look farfetched.

Their last ‘must-win’ game was February’s league encounter with Atletico, which ended in a sobering 0-1 defeat. Another derby defeat exposed plenty of the cracks that have existed at the surface of the club since the inexplicable sacking of Carlo Ancelotti last summer. 

It is for this reason that there are more than three points at stake for Madrid. It is the chance for Zidane to show that he is long-term material, and following his failed attempt against Atlético, one assumes many more chances will not be presented. It is the chance for Cristiano Ronaldo to rise up in a big match this season having only scored once against last season’s top six this campaign. 

His now infamous outburst at his teammates after the loss to Atlético will also have prompted those disregarded team members to step up and show they are not just extras in the Ronaldo roadshow. Madrid need no reminding that their bitter rivals have dominated recent encounters, with ten blaugrana wins out of the last 16 league meetings, the latest coming in the form of a 0-4 humiliation on their own turf.

And while the challenge is enormous, Madrid have a few things going for them leading into the game.

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The 4-0 win over Sevilla in their last league outing showed what they had been missing in recent weeks as Karim Benzema hit a fine opening goal. Gareth Bale also had a superb game in his first home start since January and has enjoyed a well-earned rest over the international period, while Ronaldo scored against one of the league’s top sides for the first time this season.

Barça uncomfortable when comfortable

If they need any blueprint on how to approach the game, they needn’t look too far in the past. Barça are renowned for starting on the front foot, except for when they have an advantage in hand.  In the recent Champions League last-16 second leg against Arsenal, with a 0-2 lead from the first game, Barça looked tentative.

And though they eventually managed to seal a comfortable-looking 3-1 win on the night, the Gunners had more than their fair share of chances to cause an upset. Arsenal just lacked the attacking quality, something that Madrid possess in abundance.

Champions League quarter final on the horizon

Unlike Real Madrid, Barça have a big Champions League quarter-final first leg against Atlético just three days after El Clásico which, coupled with a ten-point lead over their opponents, leaves them in no real need to chase the game, which could have a blowback effect for the Catalans. 

Especially as his cherished front three only got back from South America on Thursday, Luis Enrique will be itching to give some of them a rest but the past has shown us what repercussions that decision can have.

Nevertheless, it is Barça who go into the game in a privileged position, and the pressure lies solely on Madrid to show what they are made of. 

Another gutless display like against Atlético could all but seal the fate of the manager as well as a host of the first team squad, not to mention the president, and it seems clear that only a surprise win will change the current dynamic of the club.