Match Preview: Sunday 22/10/2006 21:00 (GMT +2): La Liga, Match Day 7
REAl MADRID - FC BARCELONA

Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid – Capacity: 80.000
Referee: Alfonso Pérez Burrull


Real Madrid(4-2-1-3): Casillas - Sergio Ramos, Helguera, Cannavaro, Roberto Carlos - Diarra, Emerson - Guti - Raúl, Robinho, Van Nistelrooy - Manager: Fabio Capello


FC Barcelona (4-3-3): Valdés - Zambrotta (Oleguer), Márquez, Puyol (Thuram), Sylvinho - Edmilson (Motta), Xavi, Deco - Messi, Gudjohnsen (Saviola), Ronaldinho - Manager: Frank Rijkaard


Match Preview:

"Starwars" or the "Mother" of all matches, "El Classico" is on tommorrow. Real against Barca or Spain versus Catalunya, record champions against current Spanish Champions/European Cup holder or may be a bit too simple, the 5th against the leader. Anyway, "El Classico" is probably the most important match in world´s club football and breaks new records every year.


Barca should be favourite again, but is there really a favourite or an underdog in "El Classico"?
Barca is back to back Spanish Champion, top of the table this season, calls the European Cup its own and outplayed the Merengues last year in a sensational match that went down into the history books of FC Barcelona.


Real Madrid, is in crisis (since three years!). Real´s coach Capello is under massive fire and a sacking of the Italian coach was already rumoured this week. Capello survived due to a 4-1 awqay win to Romanians Steaua Bucarest in the Champions League and extended his life line for an unpredictable time. The Real supporters are unhappy with the Merengues performance, results and style of play under Capello. A defeat against Barca would not only put Real out of the picture for a while, no, it probably could put an end to Capello´s second spell at the Bernabeu. Either the officials at the Casa Blanca (White House) throw him out or the the "Maestro" himself could throw the towel in.


Still, a Real vs. Barca clash is something special, similar to a final. Each single match has to be considered as a special affair. The Merengues will give everything to beat the big rival from Catalunya while for the Barca team there is nothing better than to prove their current dominance in the stadium of their biggest rival. Like last year, when the real supporters for th first time agave standing ovations to an outstanding Ronaldinho. Please, do it again Ronnie!


Last week saw Real beat Steau Bucarest 4-1 away, while Barca was beaten by Chelsea, the first time since 15 Champions League matches. After a disappointing defeat against small neighbourhood club Getafe, it looks that the Merengues take the 4-1 win against Bucarest as a source for some optimism to play their usual mind games before the big match.

The worst of all is Pedja Mijatovic, who believes "We are better than Barca". Not sure, where this guy gets it from, but all we know is, that he is the biggest underachiever of them all.
Real´s president Ramón Calderón claims that "We have the best squad in the world". Yes, Ramon, the best player´s are at Barca or are these that you promissed but unable to sign during this summer!

Paolo Cannavaro´s statement "We have to show right from the kick-off that we are the best", can be simply put down as wishful thinking.
A midweek win against a Romanian team is really no reason to get to excited. Pedja, Ramon and Fabio, no more drugs, please!


Easy to guess that Merengue coach Fabio Capello will probably line-up the same team that beat Steaua Bucarest last Tuesday. Reyes and Beckham are back, but may be not 100%, with latter one considered as underachiever anyway. Cassano is currently out of question, which leaves Robinho with a starting place, if the coach opts to play with 3 attackers.


Barca´s starting line-up is more unpredictable, but Rickaard will definetely stick to his 4-3-3 attacking formation. Surely, Valdes will be in goal. Marquez and captain Puyol (if fully recovered from his minor injury) should build the central defence pair. Zambrotta could start, but may be Rijkaard will choose the more defensive alternative Oleguer with Belletti out for the Madrid clash. Sylvinho will play on the left, but may be (if oleguer plays on the right) even Zambrotta could move to the left.

Edmilson is Rijkaard´s favourite on the defensive holding position, but may be he will choose the tougher and more defensive Thiago Motta to play against Guti in midfield. Xavi and Deco should continue an excellent midfield partnership, which leaves in form Iniesta only a place on the bench again. Upfront, Messi on the right and Ronaldinho on the left are set. Only question, who partners them upfront? I feel, it should be Saviola´s time and chance to start at Bernabeu but Rijkaard does not seem to like the idea to give Saviola his (deserved?) chance in the starting line up.


My Prediction:
Barca go into the match as top of La Liga and with a 5 point lead over Real Madrid. Whatever happens on Sunday night Barca will stay above Real, at least by a minimum of 2 points. A win would put them 8 points ahead of their bitter rivals and this should sink the Merengues´ hope to snatch the Spanish title from Barca to the deepest ground in the Mediterrean. It would not be all over but defeat would leave Real in deep sh.. and may be without coach.


Losing games has become very rare for FC Barcelona in recent years. Any defeat or even smallest sign of dip in performance is regarded as a crisis. Especially, when Ronaldinho has not shown his magical skills. Everybody knows, he is the best player in the world and a few average performances do not change this.


On Sunday evening the whole of Spain and a lot of parts in the world stand still for 90 minutes. Big clashes often fail to live up to the expectations but Real-Barca matches generally produce the excitement and thrill everyone hoped for.


This is "El Classico". Recent form does not count anymore, as soon as the ball is kicked off. The Gladiators will enter the Arena at 21:00 sharp and the 22 man on the pitch will fight until the last drop of blood...


...and at the end, Barca will win! Thanks to Ronnie... again!

Real Madrid - FC Barcelona 1:2


Visca el Barca!


P.S.: No Posting tomorrow! I am on my way to Madrid!