El Clásico: the biggest club match on the planet

Third_Echelon

Can't wait for this... its going to be a cracker... Big Barca fan! Hoping for at least a 3-0 to Barca!

redout

With all this talk about Barca v Real lets not forget that there is another giant game of world football on this weekend also as Juventus take on AC Milan in Turin on sunday.

delija_sever029

If i hate any club in the world than its Real Madrid,hope Barca will blast them and escape them a lot in title race

Warper

I seriously cannot wait for this match - Real done well in getting rid of Schuster before this one - i am expecting them to produce their best football of their season to date - it will be up to Barca to prove to everyone what they are really made of - strange as it sounds i think a loss for Barca would be more catastrophic than a defeat for Madrid - Barca are expected to win this and quite easily if previews are to be relied upon. I have Barca backed for both La Liga and CL and this match will tell me if i am on a good thing or not. Robben is a massive loss for Madrid and if Barca can win this 2 or 3 nil, well bring on the world.

anonymous_joe

Warper wrote: »

I seriously cannot wait for this match - Real done well in getting rid of Schuster before this one - i am expecting them to produce their best football of their season to date - it will be up to Barca to prove to everyone what they are really made of - strange as it sounds i think a loss for Barca would be more catastrophic than a defeat for Madrid - Barca are expected to win this and quite easily if previews are to be relied upon. I have Barca backed for both La Liga and CL and this match will tell me if i am on a good thing or not. Robben is a massive loss for Madrid and if Barca can win this 2 or 3 nil, well bring on the world.

I'd blame Mijatovic as much if not more.

dreamers75

Draw is 14-5


Think Ramos will play a flat back 10 and get the draw

bottlerocket

anonymous_joe wrote: »

I'd blame Mijatovic as much if not more.

The club's been a basket case for 5-6 years now - "Zidane's y Pavons" anyone? If ever a club needed a root and branch clear out it's Madrid. Perez, Calderon and Mijatovic must all take their share of the blame. It's always satisfying to see them in trouble because they must be the most arrogant club on the planet, their total hubris has gotten them in a state the last few years. Yes, they won the last two titles but only because of van Nistelrooy and a Barca slump. For me, Barca are absolute certs for La Liga and the team to beat in CL too. And well deserved if they do, they play the best football in Europe.

anonymous_joe

bottlerocket wrote: »

The club's been a basket case for 5-6 years now - "Zidane's y Pavons" anyone? If ever a club needed a root and branch clear out it's Madrid. Perez, Calderon and Mijatovic must all take their share of the blame. It's always satisfying to see them in trouble because they must be the most arrogant club on the planet, their total hubris has gotten them in a state the last few years. Yes, they won the last two titles but only because of van Nistelrooy and a Barca slump. For me, Barca are absolute certs for La Liga and the team to beat in CL too. And well deserved if they do, they play the best football in Europe.

They're also one of the world's biggest teams, with usually superb players.

They've been mismanaged badly, which has been a relief for the world. I think the del Bosque sacking was the biggest mistake they made.

OpenEnded

whats the team news for this?

redout

OpenEnded wrote: »

whats the team news for this?

Madrid have the following players mostly injured and some suspended. RVN, Diarra, De la Red, Torres, Pepe, Heinze, Robben and Marcelo. Sneijder is suppose to be on the bench but will not play as he is not fully fit and only today did he train with the first team squad.

Barca more or less have a full squad bar Milito. Iniesta surprisingly trained with the first team this morning and got the press into a frenzy. Gudjohnsen was rumoured to be starting in the past few days but now with Iniesta possibly back in the picture I doubt it if Iniesta is fit enough.

UnitedIrishman

Can't see Barca losing this. They have too much class and too many players on form at the minute to fall apart against Madrid.

Don't think Real have the killer edge at the minute to get the goals needed. Van Nistelrooy, despite slowing down, was key up front as Raul has been off form again this season and Higuain blows hot and cold. I'm sure Real would've loved if this game was 3-4 weeks later when Huntelaar was on board.

ITT-Pat

didnt realise Real were missing so many players, whats a likely line-up for them?

A Dub in Glasgo

And who says football & politics don't mix? I am pretty sure there are a lot of supporters of Barca (and Real) who only support them because of the politics/culture! Anyhow, hopefully Barcelona will win this.

eZe^

only 26 hours till kick off baby :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:

It’s the big one in Spain. El Clásico. Barcelona versus Real Madrid. It’s the blockbuster showdown that needs no further introduction.

A Gloomy Day In May

May 7, 2008. That’s a date that many Real Madrid fans will cherish and remember for a long time. It’s also a date that most Barcelona die-hards will have seared into their memory, albeit for a very different reason.

It was on that day that Real Madrid convincingly crushed their eternal enemies 4-1 at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, just 72 hours after they had clinched their 31st Primera División title. That triumph, of course, forced Barcelona to perform the traditional guard of honour, or pasillo (corridor) to usher their champions out onto the pitch. It was the most despicable of insults imaginable for the Catalan mammoths, so much so that the final scoreline almost became a secondary talking point.

Seven months and one week later, they meet again. But how quickly things have changed. The two teams have literally swapped places and fortunes. Los Merengues are swamped with all kinds of crisis, from their injury nightmare to the sudden coaching switch to their struggles to keep pace with their fierce rivals.

The Blaugrana, on the other hand, are flying high and sauntering away at the top of the standings. Playing some of the most celestial football on the continent, if not the planet, they look invincible, untouchable and irresistible. Barely halfway into the season, they already look red-hot favourites not only to bag the league title, but to do it by smashing every available record in sight. Is there anyone, or anything, out there that can stop them?

Their only three blips in the entirety of the last three months were the 1-1 draws against Basel and Getafe, and last Tuesday’s 3-2 defeat to Shakhtar Donetsk. All three matches were played with a slightly weakened team but more curiously, all three were at the Camp Nou. That may seem like a good omen for Madrid but in truth, it’s actually a bad sign.

Every time Barça stumble, they bounce back and rip their opponents to shreds in the next game. They annihilated Real Valladolid 6-0 after the draw against Basel and they scorched Sporting Clube de Portugal 5-2 following the stalemate with Getafe.

Valladolid and Sporting CP, with all due respect, may not be the most formidable of obstacles but Guardiola’s men are just as ruthless against their equals. Of the three direct title rivals they have met so far in La Liga, they have swept past Atlético Madrid 6-1, Sevilla 3-0 and Valencia 4-0. Real Madrid and Villarreal now remain the only two victims, or trophies, in the top six yet to be mounted on the walls of the Camp Nou.

Mayday In Madrid

Depending on how Saturday’s match and how the season turns out for Barcelona, they could very well thank Madrid for that famous/infamous 4-1 mauling seven months ago. It brought the curtains down on the Frank Rijkaard-Deco-Ronaldinho dynasty and it heralded the arrival of the Pep Guardiola-Lionel Messi era.

Likewise for Madrid, depending on how they fare at the Camp Nou this weekend and how their campaign eventually swings around, they could also end up thanking their bitter adversaries.

The Catalans’ majestic form over the past few months no doubt led Bernd Schuster to ill-fatedly remark that his struggling men in white do not stand a chance of winning at the Camp Nou. That statement, in turn, led the club – or played some part at least – to relieve the German of his duties as coach last Tuesday, making him the seventh trainer to be discharged by the ‘White House’ in the last five and a half years.

But Schuster’s sacking was a necessary move. Los Blancos needed a breath of fresh air and a new perspective on their football after spending the last month and a half painfully labouring away just to get a result sufficient enough to postpone a full-blown crisis.

Schuster’s inability to improve and expand on last season’s title-winning strategy, tactics and game plan meant that the team had to utilise almost the exact same approach this term, one that their opponents had long figured out how to neutralise. Starved of new ideas, Madrid eventually turned to the only thing they had left to get them out of trouble: true grit and determination. But even Harry Houdini could only keep escaping for so long.

Enter Juande Ramos. The 54-year-old was SOS’ed to come haul the team out of their doldrums. The Bernabéu hierarchy, in particular sporting director Predrag Mijatovic, will be hoping that the more adventurous and attacking-minded ex-Sevilla coach will bring a fresh ideology to their game and a rejuvenated, positive mindset to take on the beast that is Barcelona.

And he could not have asked for a more daunting task to kick-start his Madrid coaching career in La Liga. Teams often take weeks of mental, physical and tactical preparation to face a juggernaut like Barça, only to be steamrolled merciless. Juande, on the other hand, would have had no more than 72 hours to prepare his wounded soldiers. It raises the phrase ‘baptism of fire’ to a whole new level.

FORM GUIDE

Barcelona

Dec 09 Barcelona 2-3 Shakhtar Donetsk (CHAMPIONS LEAGUE)

Dec 06 Barcelona 4-0 Valencia (LA LIGA)

Nov 29 Sevilla 0-3 Barcelona (LA LIGA)

Nov 26 Sporting CP 2-5 Barcelona (CHAMPIONS LEAGUE)

Nov 23 Barcelona 1-1 Getafe (LA LIGA)

Real Madrid

Dec 10 Real Madrid 3-0 Zenit St. Petersburg (CHAMPIONS LEAGUE)

Dec 07 Real Madrid 3-4 Sevilla (LA LIGA)

Nov 29 Getafe 3-1 Real Madrid (LA LIGA)

Nov 25 BATE Borisov 0-1 Real Madrid (CHAMPIONS LEAGUE)

Nov 22 Real Madrid 1-0 Recreativo Huelva (LA LIGA)

TEAM NEWS

Barcelona

The only scare for coach, Guardiola was the absence of attacking midfielder Alexander Hleb from training earlier in the week due to a fever. But the Belarussian returned to normal work-out with the squad on Thursday and he will be available for selection.

Andrés Iniesta has resumed training with the rest of the group following a long lay-off due to a muscle tear in his right thigh, but he is still at least two weeks away from making a match return.

Samuel Eto’o has also rejoined his teammates after he ended Thursday’s training session early to attend to non-footballing commitments, while defender Gabriel Milito remains sidelined with a long-term injury.

Probable Starting XI (4-3-3): Valdés – Dani Alves, Márquez, Puyol ©, Abidal – Xavi, Touré Yaya, Hleb/Gudjohnsen – Messi, Eto’o, Henry

Real Madrid

Arjen Robben and Marcelo will both be suspended, leaving a huge gap to fill down the left flank. Either Sergio Ramos or Míchel Salgado will be tasked to occupy the leftback role while Royston Drenthe, who has shaken off a minor knock he picked up in midweek training, will deputise in attack.

Wesley Sneijder looks likely to miss out despite his best efforts to shrug off a muscle ailment while Gabriel Heinze, who was optimistic of making a comeback of his own following thigh injury, also looks doubtful.

Pepe, Miguel Torres, Mahamadou Diarra, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Ruben de la Red complete the absentee list.

Probable Starting XI (4-3-3): Casillas – Salgado, Metzelder, Cannavaro, Sergio Ramos – Van der Vaart, Gago, Guti – Higuaín, Raúl ©, Drenthe

PLAYERS TO WATCH

This is a night when the stars come out to play. From back to front, bench to bench, the glittering array of names is endless and in a game like El Clásico, every player will be out to impress and attempt to elevate themselves from a hero status to a legend figure.

Lionel Messi and Xavi will be the chief tormentors for Barcelona. One is akin a rampaging pitbull, the other like a silent assassin. On their day, they are individually impossible to stop. Put them together and you have a twin-terror that will destroy everything in their path.

Thierry Henry and Samuel Eto’o are the other danger-men in attack. They are two players who have given Madrid endless grief throughout their careers down the years and they will be expected to do no less on Saturday. All four are potential match-winners for the Blaugrana and all of them want a slice of revenge for the night of May 7.

For the Merengues, their key players are spread evenly across the pitch. Iker Casillas and his goal will most likely be pelted endlessly throughout the night and anything short of a saint-like performance, things will get ugly. Fernando Gago has been impressive in his last few games and as he has done so frequently in the past, he will have to pull double, maybe even triple duty to help out his teammates.

El Capitán Raúl, as usual, will lead by example and he will be hoping to add to his tally of goals against his familiar foe. Gonzalo Higuaín, so often the hero for the team, will attempt to steal the show and the limelight away from his compatriot, Messi.

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goal.com preview

Probable line-ups;

Barca

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Valdes

---

-Alves

---

Puyol

---

Marquez

---

Abidal-

---

Toure

---

---

Xavi

---

Guddy

---

---Messi

---

Eto'o

---

Henry---



Madrid

---

Iker

---

-Ramos---Metzelder

---

Canavarro---Salgado-

---

Gago

---

Guti/Sneijder

---

---Van Der Vaart

---

Drenthe----

---

Higuain

---

Raul

---

I'm extremely nervous....

gimmick

Huzzah, I can now watch this as the pub I am in will actually be able to show 2 channels on different TVs. Looking forward to the game, but have a nagging feeling it wont be the birthday present I want. I think Real will play a very negative game and try and grind out a 0-0. I hope Barca go with the line up Eze has above.

eZe^

I can't watch this match in the pub, I'm feeling so nervous, I'd say I'll need to be left on my own for three hours. :pac:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5VMyWeeLQY

An Citeog

Can't wait for this match now either. Barça are on fire and Madrid have been terrible lately. This counts for absolutely nothing though, especially with Juande Ramos at the helm in Madrid. In these 2 fixtures last season, Barça were absolutely pathetic. Hopefully that'll change and we'll see a proper classic tonight.

I'd love to see Gudjohnsen start ahead of Keita aswell. He's really stepped up this season and seems to be playing with a lot more confidence.

Força Barça!:)

redout

Marca are saying that Sneijder will play tonight. Hard to believe as it was only yesterday that he started training with the first team. Interesting that, we will have to wait and see. If he does play than that should be a big boost to Madrid.

Eze never seen someone as organised as you with your threads. Great stuff!

Looking forward to this game now too. It's wierd to see Madrid without one absolutely world class midfielder like the old days of Figo & Zidane. Not that I dont rate Van Der Varrt, Sneijder etc but it just isn't the same!

gimmick

That video is frigging awesome.

Vokes

G'wan Madrid! A 4-3 thriller in their favour i hope

But with Ramos playing LB - he and Madrid are probably gonna be turned into mincemeat by Messi.

eZe^

I was just thinking there, if Barcelona win tonight, they go 12 points ahead of Madrid. TWELVE, that is a major step in preventing los blancos from retaining the Liga. As much as I thought Ramos was a fantastic manager, he is nothing more than a mercenary in my eyes, however he is one of the best managers in the world when it comes to knockout competition. So even at this early stage in the season we may see Madrid resting players in the Liga and keeping them fit for the CL where they'll probably be playing Man Utd or Liverpool.

I would love if Iniesta was declared match fit and he got a run in the last 20 minutes, even if Barcelona coped without him, he is a player that can change a game with one through pass or a mazy run.

Time to get off the fence score wise, and even though I'm extremely nervous and feeling very pessimistic, I'm going to go with a 3-1 scoreline. Eto'o twice, Xavi once, with Messi bagging two assists, Gudjohnsen with the other. Raul will score a tap in after Higuain made space for himself and blasted it at Valdes. How much more off the fence can one get? :pac:

SofaK wrote: »

G'wan Madrid! A 4-3 thriller in their favour i hope

But with Ramos playing LB - he and Madrid are probably gonna be turned into mincemeat by Messi.

Boo-urns. Barca have conceded 9 goals in half a season and you think they'll concede almost half that in 90 minutes at home?

Pighead

UnitedIrishman wrote: »

Raul has been off form again this season

He's not doing that badly! 8 goals in his last 10 games.

ironingbored

anonymous_joe wrote: »

Juve have no fans in Turin,

Not true. Juventus has a huge fan base throughout Italy owing to the fact that a lot of southern workers emigrated to Turin in the 50s, 60s and 70s. Juventus also has a large following in the provinces of Turin and Cuneo.

anonymous_joe wrote: »

Fiorentina are right wing these days too iirc.

The central regions of Italy (Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna) are traditionally left wing as is Fiorentina.

anonymous_joe wrote: »

Most of the big Italian teams have shifted over towards the right in terms of fans.

Very true. AC Milan was traditionally a left-leaning club until hijacked by corrupt populist Silvio Berlusconi. Many true Milan fans turned their back on the club after this. There is even a story that in his childhood Berlusconi supported Inter (the right-wing Milanese team).

BTW, what a weekend of great matches; Juventus vs. AC Milan tomorrow night.

ironingbored

Bubs101 wrote: »

It was the one where Di Canio gave a fascist salute to the Livorno fans, brilliance

So giving the Fascist salute is an act of brilliance? :eek: In any other country (Germany, France, etc.) Di Canio would have been prosecuted under incitement laws. But no in revisionist Italy he is given a slap on the wrist. Disgraceful.

An Citeog

Teams confirmed:

Barca

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Valdes

---

-Alves

---

Puyol

---

Marquez

---

Abidal-

---

Toure

---

---

Xavi

---

Guddy

---

---Messi

---

Eto'o

---

Henry---



Madrid

---

Iker

---

-Salgado---Metzelder

---

Canavarro---Ramos-

---

Gago

---

Guti

---

----Sneijder

---

Drenthe----

---

Higuain

---

Raul

---

Can't wait now!

allybhoy

Anyone have a decent stream with english commentary? Can only find a mad spanish stream that sounds suspiciously like the commentary in this clip.

ironingbored

http://www.veetle.com/viewChannel.php?cid=48e7786aaa3bd

Pyjamarama

I think the commentators on sky are gonna start crying next time Messi gets fouled!!!

That being said Real are trying to kick him out of the game.

allybhoy

ironingbored wrote: »

http://www.veetle.com/viewChannel.php?cid=48e7786aaa3bd

Cheers mate ill load it now, christ what a chance for Drenthe.1 on 1, why didnt he just take a touch either side and go round him. Very very poor finish, Real starting to come back into it though, great game so far.

Question for lads watchin it on sky. Has Humphrey Boggart been mentioned at all? For some reason the spanish commentator im listening to is saying his name at least once every 2mins.

Beau x1

How come the scoreboard on Sky keeps changing? Different video sources or something?

dfx-

Bets on how many tackles to the nearest 10 on Messi?

allybhoy

dfx- wrote: »

Bets on how many tackles to the nearest 10 on Messi?

Is that fouls or tackles, if its fouls id say 30. There is definately a red card in this game. Ha ha as im typing this Drenthe lashes out at Messi. Stupid, he was going nowhere

An Citeog

allybhoy wrote: »

Question for lads watchin it on sky. Has Humphrey Boggart been mentioned at all? For some reason the spanish commentator im listening to is saying his name at least once every 2mins.

One of Xavi's nicknames is Humphrey Bogart and there's a Spanish commentator that's obsessed with calling him that. Afaik, he's the only one so I guess that's who you're listening to.:)

As for the game itself, Barça are dominating possession but are way too narrow in the final third. Messi has allowed himself to be bullied into the centre and him and Eto'o are just getting in each other's way. If he pulls back out to the right, Henry does the same on the left and Xavi and Gudjohnsen support Eto'o from the middle, the game will open up and it should suit Barça. If not, it'll end up 1-0 or 0-0.

Raskolnikov

Real Madrid have played this game perfectly so far. By taking Messi out of the game, Barcelona look pretty toothless.

Pretty poor game though.

LuckyLloyd

Raskolnikov wrote: »

Real Madrid have played this game perfectly so far. By taking Messi out of the game, Barcelona look pretty toothless.

Pretty poor game though.

Ya, it's been a snore fest thus far.

An Citeog

First half was decent enough but the second has been muck so far.

An Citeog

Peno for Barça.

Edit: Unbelievable save by Casillas/not the best peno from Eto'o.

LuckyLloyd

SAVED!!

dreamers75

In hindsight/replay easy enough peno to save nice height.

Raskolnikov

What a dive though.

dreamers75

jebus thats why hes the best keeper in the world :eek:

2 great saves

LuckyLloyd

IGOR CASSILLAS IS A ****ING GOD!!

Unbelievable double save there. I mean, unreal stuff. Magic second effort. Wow.

ironingbored

dreamers75 wrote: »

jebus thats why hes the best keeper in the world :eek:

2 great saves

2nd best keeper in the world. Buffon is no.1.

Del Piero showed Casillas up three times recently.

Great chance for Barca though.

allybhoy

An Citeog wrote: »

One of Xavi's nicknames is Humphrey Bogart and there's a Spanish commentator that's obsessed with calling him that. Afaik, he's the only one so I guess that's who you're listening to.:)

Thats gas, he's just calling him Humphrey now its really funny commentary. The two lads keep singing songs every few mins which is relieving the boredom of the game. 1st half was very fast paced but it looks like Barca have just ran out of options and Real dont seem too pushed on going forward. I reckon 0-0 all over

EDIT: Commentator's curse or what! 1 nill barca, Super header from Puyol at the back post knock down for ETO who poked it over the line. Not pretty but they deserved it in fairness. Hopefully Real will come out now and try and make a game of it for the last few mins

Raskolnikov

You could have got 20/1 on the 0-0 before this match :eek:

An Citeog

Gol gol gol gol!!!

Eto'o!

Raskolnikov

Etoo.

Raskolnikov

I can still see a Madrid defender getting sent off here.

ironingbored

Weather is atrocious. Pissing rain.

Blizzards in Turin for tomorrow night's game Juventus vs. AC Milan.