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| Messi when he suffered the knee injury against Las Palmas |
Real Madrid welcome Barcelona to the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday for the first El Clasico this season.
Both teams have had their good and bad times this season. Barcelona have been steady since Lionel Messi’s injury against Las Palmas two months go while Madrid have been solid but unspectacular.
Both teams have injury problems coming into this clash that that should not stop fans from gluing to their screen’s to watch the biggest match of the weekend along with Juventus vs Ac Milan and Man City vs Liverpool.
Both teams have fitness issues ahead of the clash. Madrid will hope Keylor Navas, Sergio Ramos and Benzema will be fully fit while Barca have worries over Iniesta, Rakitic and Messi.
Despite the hitches the match promises to be a cracker…
1. Lionel Messi’s comeback: What better way for the best player in the world to make his comeback from a two month injury layoff than against Madrid?While Neymar and Suarez have stepped up the plate in the Argentine’s absence, Messi’s superhuman abilities and consistency is just too much to write off.
The Argentine was expected to be out for eight weeks but returned in seven and used the last week to do full training. He is not fully fit but as we all know a half-fit Messi is a blessing to any team in the world.
2. Rafa Benitez will have his first true test: Rafa Benitez has been solid in the beginning of his Real Madrid coaching career. The Spaniard was not a favorite of fans, the press and players alike when he replaced Carlo Ancelotti in the summer but he has been winning over those against him recently.
His only defeat to date is that 3 – 2 defeat to Sevilla before the international break. Many are low to note that some of his best players have either been injured but off form. Ronaldo has continued to score and has 13 goals in fourteen games this season but five of those came in just one game
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| Ramos |
He has missed Sergio Ramos (against Sevilla), James Rodriguez, Benzema, Gareth Bale, Danilo and Pepe at various times this season. Despite all the trouble results have been good. The two ‘three matches’ Madrid have played this season have seen different fourtunes.
Drew 1 -1 against Atletico Madrid, beat PSG 1 – 0 over two legs in the Champions league and lost 3 – 2 to Sevilla. Can Benitez see fortune against Barcelona? Saturday’s game awaits.
3. Can Madrid cope without Sergio Ramos?: Madrid might have to do without Sergio Ramos for the El Clasico. The midfielder injured his shoulder when he acrobatically scored against Sevilla in that 3 – 2 loss. Immediately Ramos left the pitch, the team lacked leadership at the back, defensive cohesion and found it difficult to play the ball out of the back
Ramos is one of the best defenders in the world alongside Thiago Silva, Gerard Pique and Diego Godin but his absence will be keenly felt.
Madrid will hope their best defender is back to lead the ‘backline’ or could be overwhelmed by an attack that could line up as Neymar – Suarez – Messi.
4. Will the match be fixed?: Few weeks back, it emerged that senior officials in Real Madrid allegedly approached a referee supposed to officiate the match to favour the capital club.
“According to Cadena COPE (h/t Sport), Per Malyon was asked to favour Real Madrid by the referee, who said he was under pressure from the referees committee, but he refused and was later contacted by Jose Angel Jimenez Munoz de Morales, a member of Spain’s Technical Committee of Referees, who threatened his career.”
If that report is to be believed, then we could have a strange match on our hands. It could lead to a series of comments, fireworks and other issues being raised. Will the match be fixed, will the referee favour Madrid?
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| L-R: Karim BEnzema, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo | Saturday’s game will tell… |
5. Its the El Clasico: You should not miss this match because its simply…EL CLASICO. Its probably the biggest club game in the world barring finals of major tournaments like the Champions League, FA Cup, or any other match. The Jose Mourinho vs Pep Guardiola era of El Clasico’s were stuff of legends.
Guardiola and Mourinho shake hands before an El Clasico match in 2011
Madrid played dirty and sometimes got the results but Barcelona usually had the upper hand with their possession game and a certian Lionel Messi who was always settling the scores.
So Saturday, November 21 at 6pm should be booked for El Clasico.
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