While Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid have broken the monopoly held by Real Madrid and Barcelona in the Spanish la Liga, their cousins from the capital city haven’t done themselves a favour by jettisoning a succession of managers in the past one year. Significantly weakened by the inexplicable departure of Carlo Ancelotti, Los Galacticos find themselves 10 points adrift of league leaders Barcelona as they sit a point below city rivals Atletico Madrid on the third spot.
While the odds are in favour of a Catalan rout on Saturday, Zinedine Zidane will be hoping to fare better than his predecessors as he takes charge of his first El Clasico as the Real Madrid manager. As such, the fixture holds little significance in terms of the race for the La Liga title. With 8 games to go, Luis Enrique finds himself in a comfortable position in Spain. However, a win in the El Clasico could go a long way in determining the fate of the two clubs this season.
The fixture will have added meaning as Camp Nou will be the site for a tribute to Johan Cryuff who unfortunately passed away earlier this month. The Dutchman revolutionized the Real Madrid-Barcelona rivalry following his arrival from Ajax, with many attributing the Catalan’s rise to power in Spanish football to his ingenuity.
Zinedine Zidane
The Frenchman finds himself in an unenviable position as he takes on the treble winners at the Camp Nou on Saturday. Jose Mourinho lost his first El Clasico by five goals at the same stadium in 2010. Benitez conceded one less even though Madrid were playing in their own backyard, a fact that didn’t go unnoticed as the call was made to cut his stay short by Florentino Perez. Camp Nou was however kinder to Carlo Ancelotti who succumbed to a 2-1 loss in his first El Clascio in charge.
A win therefore, would go a long way in securing Zidane’s position as the manager while adding to his hallowed stature at the club.
Madrid desperate for a Zidane renaissance
The Frenchman’s performance since taking control has been a tale of two halves. While Real Madrid have dominated their opponents at the Bernabeu, they have curiously failed to take the initiative away from home this season. A string of crucial injuries further weakened his position and the Frenchman will be aware that a strong performance at Camp Nou could go a long way in rejuvenating his slumbering squad.
Casemiro could be the key for Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane is likely to tweak his starting eleven in order to strengthen their chances both against Barcelona on Satuday and then subsequently against Wolfsburg in the midweek. Casemiro is expected to start in the midfield which would allow Luka Modric and Toni Kroos to push higher up the pitch in order to assist their attacking trio.
The Brazilian midfielder was highly regarded by Rafael Benitez and Madrid’s embarrassing defeat in the previous El Clasico was attributed to his exclusion by some critics. It was also alleged that the manager was under pressure to field a more ‘attacking’ lineup in order to please the bosses in the board room. Zidane however, will not be under the same pressure, largely due to Isco’s and Jame Rodriguez’s indifferent form this season.
Casemiro’s presence in the midfield is likely to strengthen the team’s defence and prevent Andres Iniesta and Ivan Rakitic from dominating the proceedings in the midfield.
However, containing their midfield is not the end of their woes as the Frenchman will still have to limit the genius of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar. Danilo could be brought in ahead of Dani Carvajal as the Brazilian right-back is more defensively adept than his counterpart and will therefore be less susceptible against Neymar.
Zidane will also look for a strong defensive performance from Marcelo whose attacking instinct has left the Madrid defence exposed on multiple occasions this season. With the Brazilian largely operating in the opposition half against AS Roma, Mohamed Salah wreaked havoc down the right flank in what was perhaps a fair warning to the French manager. This could further force Zidane to field Casemiro in the midfield who is adept at plugging the gaps in his own half.
Luis Enrique
Chasing a successive second treble at Barcelona, Luis Enrique will thrice come across his two rivals from the capital in his next four fixtures. While a 9 point advantage could lead to a sense of complacency in the Catalan camp, a loss against Real Madrid could threaten to derail Barcelona’s campaign in the coming weeks.
Having successfully seen off the challenge from the Gunners in the Champions League, Luis Enrique will face Atletico Madrid in the quarter-finals shortly after their clash against Real Madrid at Camp Nou. A win against their more illustrious rivals will therefore be crucial for the Barcelona manager.
Another revolution in the making
The spotlight in this star studded fixture will once again be on Messi, Suarez and Neymar whose contribution to the squad far exceeds the ‘numbers’ generated by the attacking trio. While Suarez will come up against a resolute Sergio Ramos, Neymar and Messi will look to exploit a vulnerable Madrid defence down the flanks.
Sergio Busquets has been phenomenal for Luis Enrique and the Spaniard will be tasked with the responsibility to control the pace of the game while restricting Luka Modric’s influence on the pitch. Having conceded 24 goals in 30 fixtures this season, the Catalan defence has been a source of worry for the manager who will be wary of the threat posed by Karim Benzema in the opposition box. Barcelona will therefore look to stem the flow to the Frenchman by targeting Gareth Bale and Luka Modric who could prove pivotal for Real Madrid.
Goals galore at Camp Nou
Still licking their wounds from the 4-0 defeat inflicted by Barcelona at home, Real Madrid will be smarting for revenge in what could turn out to be a high-scoring battle. What the two teams lack in their defence, they more than make up for it in the attack. In such a scenario, the side who wins the battle in the midfield could well go on to clinch the three points on offer at Camp Nou. The odds however, are stacked in the favour of the home team who possess a far greater attacking threat than their distinguished guests.
Key Battles
Sergio Ramos vs. Luis Suarez
Ramos: Smarting for Revenge
Luis Suarez will look to get the better of Sergio Ramos in what promises to be a mouth-watering encounter. Equally adept at carrying out their attacking/defensive responsibilities, they are probably the two most controversial figures in the sport who have a penchant for getting into trouble. The two are unlikely to shy away from a battle with both equally proficient at stretching the limits of the game.
Messi vs Marcelo
Having failed to get on the score sheet in their 4-0 win, this battle could well decide the fate of the game. Marcelo has been defensively negligent since Zidane took over the reins at the club and Lionel Messi will look to exploit that to tear open the Madrid defence. Even if the visitors are able to control the game, which is a big if, Barcelona have shown themselves to be a highly efficient counter attacking unit and will look to use the space left behind by their marauding full-backs.
Luka Modric vs. Iniesta
A battle for supremacy in the midfield
The two midfielders constitute the spine of their respective teams and would look to gain the upper hand in a personal battle in order to give their side the advantage. Both possess the ability to dictate the pace of the game while splitting open a defence with a precise through ball.
