Three talking points ahead of Real Madrid vs Barcelona | La Liga MD10 | OneFootball

Barcelona will lock horns against Real Madrid on Sunday afternoon in the first El Clasico of the season, and the game is guaranteed to be a thriller.

Both teams enter the games with clear areas of strength and tangible flaws, leaving the field open for any result. The home advantage works out in Los Blancos’ favour, but last season’s record hands the Blaugrana a massive psychological edge.

With Real Madrid already boasting the lead in La Liga, tomorrow’s game will be critical for Barcelona to ensure they do not fall further behind.

A win will take them a point clear and into the lead on the standings, but a defeat will hand the hosts a five-point lead at the top.

Barça Universal brings you three talking points ahead of Real Madrid vs Barcelona.

Clinical finishing is essential

The first Clasico of last season was precisely at the Santiago Bernabeu, the same venue where this season’s first showdown between Barça and Real Madrid will kick off tomorrow afternoon.

What handed the Catalans the impetus last time around was the team’s clinical finishing, and the team must look for the same tomorrow.

It was Robert Lewandowski was saw a half-chance in the 54th minute on the night, and without any hesitation, he took a precise shot from distance that the goalkeeper could do nothing about.

That goal handed Barcelona the impetus, opened the floodgates, and the rest is history.

There was an element of confidence about every single Barcelona goal that followed on the night, including Lewandowski’s precise header, Lamine Yamal’s golazo from a tight angle, and Raphinha’s ice-cool finish.

Barcelona’s attack may not be flying as high as it was last season, but it is clear that Real Madrid’s defence has issues that they can expose. The chances, thus, will undoubtedly arrive, and what is critical is that the team capitalises on them.

Thibaut Courtois, as always, is in sublime form and has been a match-saver for Los Blancos in their recent games.

Marcus Rashford, Lamine Yamal, and Fermin Lopez, alongside the other forward, Flick opts to deploy in El Clasico, must thus have their finishing boots on and look to deliver the killer blow whenever the chance presents itself.

Need for an alternate defensive plan

Flick might have to come up with an alternative plan for his defence. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

Flick’s second season at Barcelona has been highlighted by opponents working out viable solutions against the high defensive line, and it has become common for the tactic to be breached.

Sevilla and PSG surgically outplayed the team’s high defensive line in recent weeks, and it is clear that the backline does not have the same level of alertness or precision that made the tactic a success last year.

Real Madrid, with Vinicius Jr. and Kylian Mbappe, arrive in El Clasico with profiles optimal to exploit a dysfunctional high defensive line, and it is clear that Flick must change his approach.

The manager will miss the game through suspension and will not be on the sidelines. He must, however, devise an alternative plan that does not leave as many spaces behind the defence, but concurrently does not reduce the team’s attacking ability.

For starters, Flick must decide who partners with Pau Cubarsi. Ronald Araujo and Eric Garcia are serious options, and his choice will depend on a plethora of factors, including the aerial coverage required, the ball-playing ability, and how high he wishes to deploy his line.

A second key decision is on the right-back situation. Jules Kounde did not train in recent days with a fitness setback, and while he has recovered, Flick must decide if the Frenchman is fit enough to feature from the start. 

After all, he has not been in the best form this term, and there is a chance Flick opts to deploy Garcia or Araujo in the department regardless of Kounde’s recovery. 

The right-back selection, central-defence pairing, and defensive tactics decided upon, thus, will play a massive role, and Flick must get the intricacies of every decision right.

The duo that holds the key

Pedri and De Jong will hold the key. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)

While Barcelona’s defence and attack are always the headline of the conversation, it has been the midfield that has carried the team through thick and thin this season.

Pedri and Frenkie de Jong, football’s most technically gifted midfield pairing, have shone brightly all season and will have a massive part to play in the Clasico.

The Blaugrana’s game, by far, depends on two major factors – possession retention and the pressing system when out of possession.

On nights when both facets of the game have worked out, they have looked unstoppable, and one remembers the opening thirty minutes against PSG when even the European champions looked helpless against Barcelona’s well-oiled system.

A combination of fatigue and injuries, however, has left Barcelona lacking in one of the two above facets in recent weeks, bringing up the narrative that they have been inferior.

With the stakes high in El Clasico, the team will be more determined than ever to give their all – and the lights will shine bright on Pedri and De Jong.

If the duo enjoy a strong day in the office, Real Madrid’s midfield will remain helpless, and Los Blancos will be forced to tire themselves out to win the ball back time and time again. 

It will not be easy for the double-pivot, given that they will go up against the likes of Federico Valverde, Jude Bellingham, and Aurelien Tchouameni, but they have shown in the past that they can tactically outclass the Real Madrid midfield.

The game tomorrow, thus, will be won or lost in midfield. While the entire team’s efforts will indeed be critical to the press and possession, Pedri and De Jong will form the spine of the team’s structure.