Real Madrid have already suffered three defeats at the hands of Barcelona in the ongoing campaign. Two of those defeats have come in the final of cup competitions. While they have been second-best to the Catalan giants for the majority of the season, a win here could give them a realistic chance of winning La Liga.
The home team are top of the table with 79 points in their 34 outings. They are four points clear of second-placed Real Madrid and have been on a four-match winning streak in the league.
While their treble dreams came to an end as they lost to Inter Milan in the Champions League semi-final, they could do a domestic double having won the Copa del Rey a few weeks back.
Meanwhile, Los Blancos have 75 points in their 34 outings. With just four games to go in the season, it’s a must-win game for the team in white if they want to have a chance of overtaking the Catalan giants in La Liga.
While they won their last four league games, Real Madrid lost to Arsenal in the UCL and Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final in recent weeks. They will have to be at their very best to stand a chance against Hansi Flick’s team.
They were outclassed in the first two meetings against Barcelona this season but they did put up a strong performance in the Cup final. As a result, they will certainly feel they can turn things around in La Liga. The Hard Tackle take a close look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Hansi Flick remains without the services of Jules Kounde, Marc Casado, Marc Bernal and Pablo Torre. But they do have a massive boost ahead of this fixture as Alejandro Balde is back in training and Robert Lewandowski should be back in the XI having played a cameo against Inter Milan.
Despite Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s return, Flick has stuck with Wojciech Szczesny but that could change in this fixture as the German could return between the sticks.
It will be the 4-2-3-1 formation, where Eric Garcia and Balde could be the full-backs, while Pau Cubarsi and Inigo Martinez will feature in the heart of the defence.
In the centre of the park, Pedri will start alongside Frenkie de Jong. The duo will shield the backline and ensure they dominate the ball.
Lamine Yamal and Raphinha should feature on the flanks with Dani Olmo taking up the number ten role. Robert Lewandowski should return to the starting XI to lead the line in this all-important fixture.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Ter Stegen; E Garcia, Cubarsi, Martinez, Balde; Pedri, De Jong; Yamal, Olmo, Raphinha; Lewandowski
Carlo Ancelotti remains without the services of Antonio Rudiger, Ferland Mendy, David Alaba, Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao and Eduardo Camavinga.
While Rodrygo should be back in the mix, he might find himself on the bench as Arda Guler is expected to start in this fixture.
Los Blancos will stick to the 4-4-2 formation, where Thibaut Courtois will be in goal. Federico Valverde and Fran Garcia should be the full-backs. Aurelien Tchouameni will once again feature in the heart of the defence alongside Raul Asensio.
Luka Modric and Dani Ceballos could be the two central midfielders with Arda Guler and Jude Bellingham out wide on the flanks. In attack, Vinicius Junior will continue to partner with Kylian Mbappe.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Courtois; Valverde, Asencio, Tchouameni, F Garcia; Guler, Ceballos, Modric, Bellingham; Vinicius, Mbappe
While Vinicius has 20 goals and 14 assists in his 49 outings this season, he hasn’t really been at his best in the second half of the season. Given the kind of season he had last time out, a lot was expected from the Brazilian international but he has failed to live up to the expectations.
He has just three goals in his last 15 league games. The 24-year-old has failed to have the kind of impact he would have liked and this game against Barcelona is his final opportunity to do something meaningful for Los Blancos this season. He might not be in that good a form but he does tend to step up in the big games.El Clasico rarely disappoints, and with the title potentially on the line, Sunday’s clash promises fireworks. Barcelona have had Real Madrid’s number this season, but with Hansi Flick’s men just coming off a UCL exit and carrying the weight of expectation, this could be the perfect time for Los Blancos to strike.
The team in white may have stumbled in the cup finals this season, but they still possess the individual brilliance to decide tight contests. Despite missing several key defenders, Ancelotti’s men have momentum on their side, having won their last four league matches.
Expect a fiercely contested game, but Madrid might just edge it to blow the title race wide open. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-2 win for the away team.
