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| An intriguing encounter in store tonight |
El Clasico. There's no more intriguing game in the football
calendar. Leaving aside the political context, Real Madrid and Barcelona is
never a boring spectacle. For the past few years it has been the Ronaldo and
Messi show. That duel still takes centre stage, but this season there's a
wonderful supporting act in Bale and Neymar.
In the last El Clasico at the Camp Nou in October, the home
side ran out 2-1 winners following goals from Neymar and Sanchez. That goal
helped endear Neymar to the Barcelona support following his high profile summer
move from Santos. Unusually however, the Brazilian's transfer has come under
even more scrutiny in the interim. It has emerged that the Catalan side paid
far more than originally estimated to secure his services.
Off the field problems aside, Neymar has struggled for
consistency when playing for the Blaugrana. His best spell coincided with
Lionel Messi's absence due to injury. Since Messi's return this year, Neymar
has found it difficult to be as effective. Could it be that Neymar needs to be
the main man in attack in order to reach his full potential? Can he and Messi
form a long-term beneficial partnership up front? Games against teams in the
lower half of La Liga can only tell us so much. Real Madrid in the Bernabeu will give a real indicator as to how the two South American stars can play
together.
Messi himself has cut a frustrated figure at times this
season. Gerardo Martino's time at the helm has seen a slight shift away from
the tiki taka football cultivated to devastating effect under Pep Guardiola and
Tito Vilanova. This season has seen an
emphasis in some games on diagonal balls and crosses, as opposed to patient
build up play with the ball and urgent pressing without it. Martino is clearly
trying to formulate a Plan B that Barcelona can switch to when opponents are
difficult to break down. However these tactics need a genuine number 9 who can
hold up the ball and get on the end of crosses. Messi is many many things, but
an old style centre forward he ain't. Noises from the Camp Nou suggest that
Martino will move on in the summer, most likely to take over the Argentina
national side. If he does, expect to see an advocate of Tiki Taka hired in his
place. Messi is the one player who Barcelona don't want to upset. He was the star of Barca's 7 goal dismantling of Osasuna last week and will likely need to reproduce those goal scoring exploits at the Bernabeu.
Since defeat at the hands of their bitter rivals in October,
Real Madrid haven't lost a game. This extra-ordinary run has been facilitated
by a cohesive unit who are as potent in attack as they are solid in defence. Ronaldo has been in his
usual superlative form, and has been adequately supported by the player who
usurped him as the most expensive footballer on the planet, Gareth Bale. Bale
played in the last El Clasico while still not clearly fully fit (he didn't have
a pre-season), but since then he has been in flying form, weighing in with 14
goals and 17 assists as Madrid marched to the top of La Liga and into the
Champions League quarter finals. His former team-mate at Spurs, Luka Modric,
has been imperious in the midfield, with short odds on him being voted player
of the season in La Liga.
Also in good form has been Karim Benzema, with Zinedine
Zidane's move from upstairs to the coaching team being credited for improving
the French striker's performances. The number 9 is a doubt for tonight, and
Jese Rodriguez is certainly out. If Benzema doesn't recover in time, Arsenal
target Alvaro Morata may see game time. An extremely talented youngster, he has
yet to prove his worth to a dubious
Carlo Ancelotti.
With Barcelona's difficulties at the back (set to be
compounded at the end of the season with Carlos Puyol's retirement) it is
difficult to see past Real Madrid for tonight's game. However, if Messi and
Neymar manage to combine to good effect, there's always a chance Barcelona
could sneak a result. A win for Real is a disaster both for Barcelona and
neutral observers, as it would leave the Catalans 7 points adrift entering the
home stretch of the season. A draw would suit Atletico Madrid as well as
anyone, as they travel to Real Betis beforehand and could be level with their
city rivals at the summit before El Clasico brings the footballing world to a
standstill.
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