La Liga Preview: Real Madrid - Barcelona

The latest installment of the Clásico will take place on Wednesday evening at the Bernabeu with Barcelona greeting their long standing rivals and current Primera champions with the guard of honor. It was only two seasons ago in this same fixture that the Blaugrana got a standing ovation from the Madrid support after their 3-0 demolition of the home side. While much of Barcelona’s squad from that night is still intact, their roles are much different now as injuries, loss of form and selfishness have now robbed them of what could have been a very successful season.

Madrid’s transformation over this two year period of time has been dramatic as the overall squad got younger and mentally stronger. There were many times in the Galactico era where when push came to shove, the Whites quivered and succumbed to the pressure.

But despite having to deal with two different coaches in as many seasons, Los Blancos have now not wavered in dealing with the adversity that they have faced in the Primera. That is a big reason why they were able to persevere in a league which seems to have become more balanced (or mediocre, if you prefer) than in the past. Despite the club’s long and storied history of domestic success, it needs to be noted that this is their first consecutive Primera title since 1990.

Heart Of A Champion

After Fabio Cannavaro’s second yellow and subsequent sending off early in the second half against Osasuna on Sunday, things did not look promising for Madrid’s expected title-clinching match. Things got even bleaker after Punal’s spot kick put Osasuna ahead in the 82nd minute. While a heavy rain beat down on the pitch, it appeared that even Bernd Schuster was conceding that it just wasn’t in the cards for his side as he subbed a dangerous Wesley Sneijder off in order to bring on the seldom used Julio Baptista.

However, Madrid responded immediately with two quick goals by Robben and Higuain in stunning fashion. What made the comeback even more impressive is that for periods of time, Madrid actually played two men down. Gabriel Heinze’s hand had been stepped on in the aftermath of his handball which gifted Osasuna the lead. While the Madrid trainers struggled to staunch the bleeding, Heinze was unable to join his mates for a few minutes which, as it turns out, were all that Madrid needed in order to turn the tables.

While the win was by no means pretty, it was typical of this Madrid side that has developed an innate ability to grind out results when seemingly not at their best. Despite a brief stumble during February and March, Los Blancos never surrendered top spot while their closest pursuers, Villarreal and Barcelona, could not capitalize on this small window of opportunity.

Rebuilding Or Renovation?

While Barcelona’s 6-0 thrashing of Valencia this past weekend was a welcome sign for a side which had not scored in their last four matches, it should be taken with a grain of salt as they are not the only side to give Los Che a good hiding lately. That said, Barca’s performance was a joy to behold as they had their fluid passing style in full form which allowed them to make short work of Valencia.

While Barcelona desperately try to overtake Villarreal for the second spot and avoid having to play in a Champions League qualifying round this summer, they will have to do it without two key players on Wednesday night. Both Deco and Eto’o picked up yellow cards on Sunday which will force them to miss the upcoming match with Madrid. While only a cynic might say that they both did this to avoid having to deliver the honor guard to their bitter rivals, it’s a fair question to ask given the circumstances.

While Barcelona’s board contemplates wholesale changes to the staff and players which just played in the Champions League semifinal round, they have to consider the mental make-up of their squad. While they showed flashes of brilliance throughout the season, their failure in the Primera comes down to the fact that they simply dropped too many points away from home.

Barcelona’s point total at the Camp Nou (44 pts) was similar to Madrid’s (45) and Villarreal’s (38) totals, but paled in comparison to their road form. Barcelona has only been able to collect a measly (by their standards) 20 points from 17 away matches while their last road victory in the league was on February 16, 2008 versus lowly Zaragoza. In a league where, at times, it seemed that nearly two thirds of the table was in a relegation fight, this simply was not good enough.

Whether this poor form away from the Camp Nou had to do with so many young players in the squad or if it just came down to the fact that they lacked a strong presence on the pitch like Ronaldinho to lessen the pressure on everyone else, this needs to be figured out quickly. The big question is whether Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard will be around to make this decision as it’s pretty clear that Ronaldinho will not be there next season.

FORM GUIDE

Real Madrid

Osasuna - Real Madrid1 - 204/05/2008LA LIGAReal Madrid - Athletic Bilbao3 - 027/04/2008LA LIGARacing - Real Madrid0 - 220/04/2008LA LIGAReal Madrid - Murcia1 - 013/04/2008LA LIGAMallorca - Real Madrid1 - 105/04/2008LA LIGAReal Madrid - Sevilla3 - 130/03/2008LA LIGA
Barcelona

Barcelona - Valencia6 - 004/05/2008LA LIGAMan Utd. - Barcelona1 - 029/04/2008CHAMPIONS LEAGUEDeportivo - Barcelona2 - 026/04/2008LA LIGABarcelona - Man Utd.0 - 023/04/2008CHAMPIONS LEAGUEBarcelona - Espanyol0 - 019/04/2008LA LIGARecreativo - Barcelona2 - 212/04/2008LA LIGA
TEAM NEWS

Real Madrid

Besides the big decision of who will be fit after celebrating their league title, Schuster will have to patch together a backline without the services of Cannavaro and Heinze. Metzelder remains unavailable as he recovers his fitness after foot surgery.

Possible Starting XI (4-3-3): Casillas – Marcelo, Pepe, Ramos, Torres – Guti, Gago, Sneijder - Robben, van Nistlerooy, Raúl.


Barcelona

Besides the suspension of Eto’o and Deco, Rijkaard will be without the services of Gabriel Milito, Ronaldinho, Touré, Iniesta, and Oleguer Presas, all due to injury.

Possible Starting XI (4-3-3): Valdés- Abidal, Thuram, Puyol, Zambrotta – Gudjohnsen, Márquez, Xavi, - Bojan, Henry, Messi.


PLAYERS TO WATCH

Real Madrid

Ruud van Nistlerooy – While the striker did not make his return on Sunday, he is expected to play on Wednesday. The Dutchman will be eager to regain his form in time for the Euros.

Barcelona

Thierry Henry – His brace on Sunday was very impressive. Whether he wants to stay in Barcelona or not, the Frenchman needs to finish the season strong in order to regain his reputation as one of the best strikers in the world. If Tottenham do decide to finally pull the trigger and sell Dimitar Berbatov for an inflated number, it would not be a shock to see Henry return to North London to play for Spurs.

PREDICTION

With so many key players missing from both sides and not knowing the effect that the celebrations had on Los Merengues, this is a hard one to call. However, one thing is certain, this will not be a scoreless draw as there have only been two in this series over the last twenty seasons.

Look for both sides to pour forward and attack in what is always an entertaining fixture. Unfortunately, I expect a draw which will likely not please either set of supporters.


Capdevila: Madrid Deserve It
Guti To Miss Trip To Osasuna
Van Nistelrooy Back In Team Training
Salgado: We Want The Title As Soon As Possible