Barcelona vs Real Madrid
Spain – LaLiga
Date: Wednesday, 18 December 2019
Kick-off at 19:00 UK/ 20:00 CET
Venue: Camp Nou (Barcelona).
Match previewEl Clasico is a game that does not require extra sensation, but a long wait for the first edition of this season has stimulate the appetite even more ahead of the showdown on Wednesday.
The script could hardly be tempting written well, with both sides level on points at the top of La Liga after the weekend action and Barcelona is only slightly superior goal difference keeping them as league leaders.
The two clubs will be hoping that things on the ground, not from the political unrest that led to the original fixture was postponed, made headlines, and for both teams it is also an opportunity to get back to winning ways after a draw last time out.
Barcelona saw their seven-game winning streak come to an end a tough trip to La Anoeta as they drew 2-2 with Real Sociedad and Real Madrid are not able to take advantage of slip-ups that when they were held 1-1 draw with Valencia on Sunday.
Los Blancos needed a Karim Benzema goal 95 minutes just to salvage a point and stay level with Barcelona, avoiding what would be only their second league defeat of the season.
Barcelona, by contrast, has beaten three times in the league this season, although only one of them has come since September and they go into Wednesday's game to lose one of their last 17 in all competitions.
Nevertheless, speculation over the future of Ernesto Valverde as manager is a regular feature of the Spanish media, and reports that the club had lined up back to Pep Guardiola at the end of the season will have no problem helping.
Real Madrid will come up against Guardiola and his team of Manchester City in the last 16 of the Champions League as they look to re-establish themselves as the kings of Europe, but their status as the best in Spain yet alone the best in the continent has been in question for many era recently.
Wednesday Clasico will be the last of a decade that has seen Madrid win only two La Liga titles in comparison to haul Barcelona seven, and with things so tight at the top this time could be the match that decides who will claim the first of 2020s.
Rarely in the past 10 years has anything been so evenly-poised heading into the Clasico, even with the Madrid record of one loss in 17 games become synonymous with a new form Barcelona.
It is in the column where the destination of the most noticeable differences lie; Barcelona have scored 10 more goals than their rivals, but also conceded eight more, with Real Madrid boast the second-best defensive record in the league behind only famous miser neighbors Atletico Madrid.
Zinedine Zidane side will have their work cut out to keep Barcelona at bay in front of their own fans, though, with 30 of the 43 league goals the home team this season came at the Camp Nou.
Indeed, Valverde side yet to drop a point at home in the league this season and have not lost a home match in any competition since November 2018 - streak of 30 games that includes 26 wins.
Only once this term should Barcelona fail to reach at least four goals in league home games, and their winning streak at Camp Nou La Liga now stretches to 14 matches.
repair itself Madrid away from home may have come just in time, then, with Zidane side having won four and drawn one of their last five games on the road, having picked up just two wins in 11 before that.
A trip to the Camp Nou is a totally different proposition than most of their away games, though, and their recent record in this fixture means that a draw might be considered a satisfactory result for the visitors.
Madrid will end their year at home to Athletic Bilbao on Sunday while Barcelona host Alaves on Saturday - the second match Clasico participants will expect to win.
This showdown Wednesday may determine who ended decades of Barcelona at the top, then, and should Madrid claim Clásico bragging rights then it could also imply a change in the rear guard support their posts to the 2020s.
TEAM NEWS
BARCELONA
Barcelona seven successive wins in all competitions came to a frustrating end on Saturday as Real Sociedad held them to a 2-2 draw despite some important decisions going against him Ernesto Valverde.
They came to El Clasico with Dembele still sidelined through injury and Brazilian midfielder Arthur also expected to lose because of injury so that Rakitic is likely to retain his place.
Nelson Semedo is expected to come back in at right-back for Sergi Roberto, while Jordi Alba returned to the team after injury at the weekend and should be fit to start.
Predicted line-up (4-3-3): Ter Stegen; Nelson Semedo, Pique, Lenglet, Jordi Alba; Rakitic, Busquets, De Jong; Messi, Luis Suarez, Griezmann
Not available: Dembele (Injured), Arthur (Injured)
doubtful:
REAL MADRID
Real Madrid missed a golden opportunity to leapfrog ahead of El Clasico Barcelona as they could only draw 1-1 at Valencia after Barcelona have also been held to draws on Saturday.
Madrid is not too happy with the scheduling for this match considering that Barcelona were given an extra day to prepare for this crisis top-of-the-table clash in comparison with them.
Zinedine Zidane Mendy welcome back from suspension and he will start as a left back Marcelo is injured, while Casemiro have to come back rigid to midfield with Modric potentially dropped to the bench.
Predicted line-up (4-3-3): Courtois; Dani Carvajal, Varane, Sergio Ramos, Mendy; Valverde, Casemiro, Kroos; Bale, Benzema, Isco
Not available: Marcelo (Injured), James Rodriguez (Hurt), Marco Asensio (Hurt), Lucas Vazquez (Hurt), Hazard (Hurt), M. Diaz (Out of favor)
doubtful:
Prediction
Barcelona 1-1 Real Madrid
Barcelona have never lost at home this season in all competitions and are currently unbeaten in eight games. Real Madrid were also without defeat in eleven matches in all competitions, but they failed to pick up a win against their rivals in their last six meetings.
As usual, the latest El Clasico will make a delicious contest, as both teams will be looking to claim the top spot in La Liga for themselves. While Real Madrid lost badly for Barcelona in the corresponding match last season, they have been doing well at Camp Nou under the guidance of Zinedine Zidane, having won and drawn two games apiece.
And therefore, we at Hard Tackle expect Los Blancos to hold the Blaugrana drew 1-1 on Wednesday night and returned with one point from the Camp Nou.
