Real Madrid face Barcelona in El Clasico
Real Madrid face Barcelona in the premier fixture of the Spanish La Liga calendar. Madrid and Barcelona are two of the biggest teams in world football, the biggest, surely, in Spanish football. They are the perennial front runners
of the Spanish La Liga almost every season. To win the title is like an 'either/or' aspect between them with the rest of the league performing unsubstantial roles. It’s almost always 'either' Barcelona 'or' Real Madrid who win the league.
The fixture is traditionally dubbed 'El Clasico’, and rightly so as it almost always proves to be a classic: a match showcasing some of the best players on the planet, the best players displaying some of the best football on the
planet, the best football on the planet providing some of the best goals on the planet, and the best goals on the planet ensuring La Liga's most important result.
The fixture has in the recent past been graced by the esteemed likes of Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo, David Beckham, Roberto Carlos, Fabio Cannavaro, Luis Figo, Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto'o, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thierry Henry. And this
year’s roster might include the likes of Kaka, David Villa, Mesut Ozil, Carles Puyol, Iker Casillas, Xabi Alonso, Xavi, Iniesta, Angel Di Maria, Karim Benzema and who could leave out the two most explosive talents on the planet: Lionel Messi and Cristiano
Ronaldo, the two most consistent players over the past couple of seasons, the players who have already won everything club football has to offer, even in tender years such as theirs. Two players whose sight gives defenders nightmares, two players who score
goals for fun, as if it were as easy as breathing, two players who have shared the "World Player of the Year" gong between them over the past few seasons. And watching these two pitted against each other is the stuff dreams are made of; it is a prospect that
makes a fan drool, and even all the neutrals in the world stop and stare as the players in this game strut their stuff.
Jose Mourinho takes his team to Camp Nou tonight knowing he has to win to keep ahead of Barcelona at the top. At the Nou Camp aspiring for a win is always a daunting task, but Mourinho and his men will be aided by the statistic
that they are unbeaten since Mourinho took the reins at the Bernabeau. Mourinho is a master tactician, a tactician of the highest calibre, with a quick-witted personality to match. And a tactician such as him can coax a result out of any situation, as his
results over the years have proved.
But Barcelona will not take anything lying down, if there is any team that can be Moses to Madrid's Pharaoh, its Barcelona, the team most adept at playing open, expansive and free flowing football. The leaders of possession play,
with wizards like Xavi, Iniesta and Messi in the middle of the park, they strike fear into the hearts of their opponents. And they are a formidable force at home, the Nou Camp, a one hundred thousand seater fortress; just playing there must inspire awe and
nerves in opponents, a coliseum which has produced magnificent talents over the years like Leo Messi, Cesc Fabregas, Gerard Pique, Bojan Krkic and Pedro. It’s safe to say that the fans there are amongst some of the most spoilt in the world.
Both teams know they need to win, for one primary reason, to go top and make headway in the race for the title. Over the years, this fixture has been home to very open football with plenty of goals, but with the introduction of
Jose Mourinho and his defensive tactics into the fray, it is in danger of becoming a low scoring display and a battle of resilience which might not be as much of a spectacle. But whatever type of match it is, one thing is for sure: the world will most definitely
be watching. All eyes on the Nou Camp.
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