Barcelona and Real Madrid will face each other this Sunday in one of the most decisive Clásicos in LaLiga history. Although these matches always set the tone for the season, rarely have we seen this league match be so decisive in determining who will lift the trophy.
A battered Barcelona
Barcelona is coming off a tough blow this past Tuesday in the Champions League after being eliminated by Inter Milan in the semifinals, when it seemed that it had already secured a spot in the final. It was a hard blow because the Blaugranas had a clear chance of winning the treble this season. But now they face a big problem. After a great season, which has exceeded all expectations, they are now threatened by a Real Madrid side that will need to be beaten several times to be knocked out of the race.
Hansi Flick’s side would seal the championship if they win. The gap with Real Madrid would be seven points, with only nine games left to play. Even if they manage a draw, it does not seem likely that they will let the championship slip away with so few games left to play. But if they lose, Real Madrid would be just one point behind and the pressure for the last three games of the league would be enormous, especially as the three games remaining for the Catalans are against Espanyol, Villarreal, and Athletic, all tough opponents for the Catalans.
A Real Madrid that has given up on the season
Real Madrid’s poor season, which has fallen well short of expectations, has created an atmosphere of resignation, and LaLiga already looked lost several weeks ago. However, as the last few games have unfolded, hopes have been rising. Although there is a lot of caution at the Bernabéu, they are aware that a victory on Sunday could bring the fight for the championship back to life, and Real Madrid, when they get their teeth into something, find it very difficult to let go. The team has rallied to fight for the championship, at least to put enough pressure on to bring about a turnaround that, at the moment, still seems very unlikely.
Real Madrid are aware that they have lost all three games against Barcelona this season—first in La Liga at the Santiago Bernabéu, then in the Spanish Super Cup final and the Copa del Rey final—the first two by a landslide, but in the third, they were minutes away from winning the Cup, and Real Madrid are clinging to those chances to try to pull off an upset in Barcelona.
A decisive Clásico
This Sunday’s Clásico is one of the most decisive Barcelona-Real Madrid matches in recent years. There is no memory of a direct confrontation between the two sides in the domestic championship that has been as important as this one. A battered Barcelona side comes up against a Real Madrid team that has been badly hurt this season but has the chance to finish in an unexpected way. Hansi Flick’s men will be under pressure knowing that the season was looking very good and they could end up with only the Copa del Rey. Real Madrid, meanwhile, are under pressure because of the club they are. To think that Los Blancos are coming into this game with nothing to lose is a mistake. The Madrid team is obliged to stand up and fight, and anything less than a win will mean a new wave of criticism for a club that has failed to get off the ground all year.