A Clásico that can be worth a League
Real Madrid, more rested but without Benzema, seeks to give a blow to the championship against a Barça that is trading on the rise
MADRID, 19 Mar. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Real Madrid and FC Barcelona will play this Sunday (21.00/Movistar LaLiga) the third and last classic of the season at the Santiago Bernabéu in search of consolidating their leadership, the home team, and continuing to change the trend, the Catalans, who They face their visit to the capital of Spain with less rest after their recent move to the quarterfinals of the Europa League.
LaLiga is played this Sunday at Paseo de la Castellana when there are still almost two months to go. A merengue victory – with eight games to go – would be almost definitive for the championship. A blow in every rule that could be more or less deep depending on the result of Sevilla against Real Sociedad.
That is the objective of the meringues, who still have the aftertaste of the rush against Paris Saint-Germain in the ‘Champions’ and will want to take advantage of the strength of playing in front of their public to continue stretching the festival. In addition, the latest precedents are all favorable for a Real Madrid that -still- was much more favorite in the first round, when Xavi was not there.
The whites have won five consecutive ‘Clásicos’, a figure that has not been repeated since 1957, confirming their hegemony at a time of difficulty for the culé. However, the flight is changing for a Barça that looks like another team four months after the arrival of Xavi Hernández and a good collection of attackers who arrived in the winter market.
Barça clings to this to dream of a League against which “you cannot be very optimistic” in the words of its coach, although that is not an excuse to show “personality” due to its “great moment of form”. In the event of victory, the Blaugranas would stay 12 points behind Real Madrid -which could be 11 depending on the goal average-, while Ancelotti’s men would extend it to 18 units, a more than considerable advantage for being the eternal rival.
The Italian coach will not be able to count on Karim Benzema, the great absentee this Sunday due to physical discomfort. The Frenchman, top scorer in LaLiga with 22 goals, is offering his best level at 34 years old, but he will have to watch the game at home. Ancelotti has said that he “will not” force any player and assured that he is not “concerned” about losing him.
In addition to Benzema, his compatriot Ferland Mendy will not be part of the game, also due to injury, in a defense in which Militao returns, down in Mallorca due to a flu, and in which Nacho will play left-back with Carvajal, recently called by Luis Enrique , on the right. Alaba will complete the central axis of the defense.
There will also be no changes in the midfield as Modric, Casemiro and Kroos are available; and the great novelty would be the presence of Rodrygo together with Vinicius and Asensio in the most advanced line. Another option is Hazard, the ‘forgotten’ Bale, who is in the squad, or Jovic, who has only scored one goal this season and is never usually Ancelotti’s second bullet.
BARÇA, AT ITS BEST MOMENT OF THE COURSE
For its part, FC Barcelona faces the ‘Clasico’ after the hard-fought victory against Galatasaray last Thursday to continue on in Europe. The tie in the first leg forced Xavi’s men to win the difficult Ali Sami Yen, but they got the exam with flying colors and now they arrive more tired but with more confidence in their style, also reinforced by their rise in the table last month.
The Blaugrana coach, who enjoyed great nights at the Bernabéu as a player, has insisted on this, aware of the repercussion of the stage in what will be his first as coach. “It’s a spectacular place to play in the opposition field and try to impose our game model. We’ve grown since I took control of the team”, recalled Xavi.
The one from Terrasa will have the same team available as in Turkey, plus Dani Alves, who is registered in the League, to try to whiten his image in this League final that invites ‘decaf’. The injured Ansu Fati, Sergi Roberto, Umtiti and Dest, who finally has not entered the squad list, will not be present.
DATASHEET.
–POSSIBLE ALIGNMENTS.
REAL MADRID: Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Alaba, Nacho; Casemiro, Modric, Kroos; Asensio, Vinicius and Rodrygo.
FC BARCELONA: Ter Stegen; Alves, Piqué, Araujo, Alba; Busquets, F. de Jong, Pedri; Gavi, Ferran Torres and Aubameyang.
–REFEREE: Martínez Munuera (C.Valenciano).
–Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
–TIME: 9:00 p.m./Movistar LaLiga.