La Liga: El Clasico Numero Uno

Real Madrid vs Barcelona

It’s one of the biggest games on the planet, and this weekend it’s back on, as the El Clasico at the Santiago Bernabeu is the box office draw in La Liga on Saturday.    

Both teams are in superb form and are certainly among a small clutch of the best sides in Europe at the moment as the midweek action proved emphatically.

Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid come into the game on the back of a sensational Champions League win over Borussia Dortmund, coming back from a 2-0 halftime deficit to win 5-2.

Barca were in action on Wednesday in the match of the week against Bayern Munich, and they went on to match Los Blancos by thumping Vincent Kompany’s men 4-1.  

In the league last week, Los Blancos won 2-1 away to Celta Vigo, while Barcelona dismantled Sevilla 5-1 at home, and that left Hansi Flick’s team top of the table by three clear points and with a goal difference better than the second-placed Los Blancos.   

 

Talking Points

Vinicius calls for more of the same

Real Madrid showed just how destructive they can be in a brutal second half annihilation of Dortmund, as Vinicius Junior scored his first hat-trick in the Champions League.

The Brazilian ace said after the game that Los Blancos must play like they did in the second half for the rest of the season and, if they do, they will be devastating.

With a midfield of Luka Modric, Jude Bellingham, and Federico Valverde behind a front three of Vinicius, Rodrygo, and Kylian Mbappe, this is a front six that can dismantle any opposing defence. 

But the win over BVB was a game of two halves, and the first 45 exposed some defensive frailties, particularly when Jamie Bynoe-Gittens stole in unmarked to double the Germans’ lead.

When they face Barcelona, centre-backs Eder Militao and Antonio Rudiger will need to be at their best, while full-back Ferland Mendy will have his work cut out to keep Lamine Yamal quiet.    

 

Raphinha reaching new heights for Barcelona

Barca’s Brazilian ace Raphinha loves a big game, and he showed just how good he can be as he matched his countryman’s achievement by hitting his own hat-trick as Barcelona tore into Bayern Munich, a team which has troubled the Catalans in recent years.

While Kompany highlighted Yamal as the biggest danger pre-match, Raphinha has been in sublime form throughout this season, and he has helped his 17-year-old colleague by stretching opposition defences on the other flank.

Raphinha was virtually unplayable in 90 minutes against Bayern, and while he stole the headlines with a brilliant hat-trick, his all-around play and energetic pressing were hugely impressive.

He opened the scoring by rounding off a fast break, collecting a ball from Fermin Lopez and applying a cool finish past Manuel Neuer.  His second was a spectacular strike into the top corner, and he completed his hat-trick with another clinical finish.

Raphinha’s form has been a real boost to Barca’s main striker too. With 12 goals, Robert Lewandowski has scored twice the number of his nearest rival, Mbappe, and he was at his clinical best when Barca met Sevilla last Sunday.

The Pole bagged a brace, and he scored Barca’s fourth in the destruction of Munich.     

 

History

With 39 wins to 29, the Blaugrana have had the better of the head-to-head meetings over the past three decades. But Real Madrid beat Barca three times last season, while Flick’s team won a preseason friendly.    

Real Madrid have won four, drawn one, and lost one of the last six games, while Barcelona have won five and lost one.

Both teams have a spectacular set of La Liga 2024 results with the Blaugrana winning nine and losing one, while Los Blancos have won seven and drawn three, as one of two teams unbeaten, the other being third-placed Atletico Madrid.

Ancelotti’s team has won all five of their home league games and are unbeaten in 39 games at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.   

 

Betting Tip

According to the La Liga 2024 betting odds, this match is the first big jump in a two-horse race, with Los Blancos currently priced at 1.60 to win the title and Barcelona at 2.25.

With Atletico Madrid third in line at SBOTOP odds of 20.00 and the rest of the field at 125.00, seemingly only Los Rojiblancos have a prayer of gate-crashing this exclusive club.

This game will be an absolute cracker, and I can say with supreme confidence that Los Blancos start as marginally odds-on favourites priced at 1.98, with Barcelona at 3.01.

Home advantage will help Ancelotti’s men, but I think Barca are marginally better at the moment, and the two titans of the Spanish game will cancel each other out.  

   

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