Three talking points ahead of Barcelona vs Real Madrid | La Liga MD 35 | OneFootball

FC Barcelona’s games after their elimination from the UEFA Champions League have not been much of a feast to witness, and the drop in intensity and purpose is understandable.

After all, the team took a while to recover from the blow they suffered in Europe, and Real Madrid’s slip-ups in La Liga ensured they never faced the heat in the competition.

Tomorrow, they face their biggest game since that defeat against Atletico Madrid, and it could be a special one as they face Real Madrid at the Spotify Camp Nou.

When the two teams last met in La Liga, Real Madrid stole the win as part of their explosive start to the season.

Barcelona, however, won in the final of the Spanish Super Cup when it mattered most. Tomorrow’s game will thus decide this season’s bragging rights.

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

A result for the history books

Barcelona are on the verge of winning La Liga, and would have even had the title wrapped up last week had Real Madrid not won against Espanyol.

Their win, however, has extended the race for one more week, and the only way for Real Madrid to keep it alive longer is to win against Barcelona tomorrow.

Even a draw tomorrow at the Spotify Camp Nou will be enough for the Catalans to seal the league title and officially be crowned champions, and it is unbelievable how that night may well come in a direct game against Real Madrid,

While El Clasico has always been a title-deciding game, the winner of the league has never been crowned in a direct game between Barcelona and Real Madrid, and the Blaugrana have a golden chance to make history tomorrow night at home.

It is clear that Barcelona have the objective in mind, and they will look to seal the title tomorrow night in the biggest remaining game of the season. History can be made.

A tactical dilemma

Kounde or Eric at right-back? (Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)

While it is clear that Barcelona enter El Clasico in superior form to Real Madrid, Los Blancos have had some silver linings come up in recent weeks that boost their chances.

One such factor is the return of Vinicius Jr. to form, something the Los Blancos’ faithful have been hoping to see for several months now.

While the current season has been a difficult one largely for the Brazilian, recent games have seen him rack up consistent numbers. He has four goals in the team’s last three games, and Hansi Flick must create an effective plan to counter his threat.

The manager has three major options to start at right-back – Jules Kounde, Eric Garcia, and Ronald Araujo. Joao Cancelo holds an outside chance to start in the position but is more likely to feature on the left.

Of the three primary options, Jules Kounde is the manager’s go-to option. The Frenchman, however, has been inconsistent all season, and with even Lamine Yamal unavailable for him to connect with, there is a strong basis to keep him on the bench.

Eric Garcia, in such a sense, would be a good option to step in, given his defensive-intensive approach and good form. In his case, however, there is also a chance the manager will want him at centre-back.

Finally, there is the option of Ronald Araujo, who has historically fared well against Vinicius Jr., but his recent form has not been great, and he has not enjoyed the status of a starter consistently in long.

Which of his three weapons Flick decides to go for tomorrow night, needless to say, will count for much of the result on the night.

An opponent in disarray

While Barcelona keep their heads down and approaches El Clasico with complete focus, Real Madrid’s dressing room is in a state of complete disarray at this point in time.

The internal turmoil at the club and stories of friction have taken Spanish media by storm, and it is common knowledge at this point that Real Madrid have anything but harmony in the dressing room.

Antonio Rudiger and Alvaro Carreras recently got into a tussle, with the German taking his anger out on the Spaniard twice in recent times. 

More recently, Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni got into a physical altercation behind the scenes which saw the Uruguayan suffer a head injury and rule him out of El Clasico.

In addition to the feuds and misunderstandings between players, there is a massive divide between the manager, Alvaro Arbeloa, and a major part of the dressing room as well.

With so much division looming internally, it is difficult for Real Madrid to approach El Clasico as a team and with the team’s needs placed ahead of the noise. Barcelona, needless to say, stand to benefit from the scenario.