Barcelona vs Real Madrid: La Liga Title Showdown
Barcelona Must Bounce Back After Champions League Heartbreak
Barcelona needs to recover fast from their painful Champions League exit. They face Real Madrid on Sunday with the La Liga title on the line.
Painful Champions League Exit
Hansi Flick’s team was just moments away from reaching their first European final in a decade. However, Inter Milan staged a 4-3 extra-time comeback on Tuesday. Inter won 7-6 on aggregate in one of the most memorable knockout ties in recent soccer history.
Focus on the Clasico
Barcelona’s young team was left reeling from the loss. But Flick immediately shifted focus to the upcoming Clasico. There are only four days between these two crucial games.
“This game is over. Now we have to pick ourselves up and look ahead as we have the Clasico coming up,” Flick said after the defeat at San Siro. “I will wake the team up.”
La Liga Title Race Heats Up
Barcelona leads Madrid by four points. A victory would give them a comfortable cushion. But a Madrid win would throw the title chase wide open with three rounds remaining.
Barcelona’s Quest for a Double
Barcelona is seeking a double after beating Madrid 3-2 in extra time in the Copa del Rey final two weeks ago. A Barcelona triumph would also complete a sweep of all four Clasicos this season. They beat Madrid 5-2 in the Spanish Super Cup in January after winning 4-0 at Madrid in the league in October.
Madrid’s Struggles
Madrid is trying to salvage a disappointing season. They aim to defend their La Liga title ahead of this summer’s expanded Club World Cup.
Injury Woes and Key Players
The wear and tear of the season has taken its toll. Several players, especially in defense, are on the injured list.
Madrid’s Defense in Crisis
Madrid will be without their entire first-choice backline. Antonio Rudiger, Eder Militao, Dani Carvajal, and Ferland Mendy are all out. Midfielder Eduardo Camavinga, who can play as a left back, is also unavailable.
This means youth player Raul Asensio and midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni will likely anchor Madrid’s defense. Lucas Vazquez and Fran Garcia will play as full backs.
Barcelona’s Injury Concerns
Barcelona hopes left back Alejandro Balde will recover from a left-thigh injury that ruled him out of the series against Inter.
Right back Jules Kounde, who scored the winner in the Copa del Rey final, is out with a left-thigh injury. Ronald Araujo, or perhaps Eric Garcia, will take his place and face off against Madrid’s Vinicius Junior.
Striker Dilemma for Flick
Flick must decide if Robert Lewandowski or Ferran Torres starts at striker. Lewandowski missed several matches before coming on as a late substitute against Inter this week. However, he was unable to make an impact.
Key Midfield Battle
Watch out for the midfield battle between Barcelona’s Pedri Gonzalez and Madrid’s Jude Bellingham. These playmakers are critical to directing their teams’ attacks.
High Scoring Clasicos
All three prior Clasicos have been high scoring. Barcelona has scored 12 goals to Madrid’s four. Expect more goals against the depleted defenses at the Olympic Stadium.
Led by Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, and Lewandowski, Barcelona has a league-high 91 goals. Madrid has scored 69. Both sides have conceded 33 goals this campaign.
Lewandowski leads the league with 25 goals. Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe is right behind with 24. While Yamal and Raphinha are having breakout seasons, Vinicius and Rodrigo have been inconsistent.
Madrid’s Hope
With Barcelona ruling the statistics and recent meetings, Madrid will have to capitalize on their extra days of rest. They hope that Barcelona’s morale was damaged by Inter.
Ancelotti’s Future
The vibe in Spain is that Sunday’s game will likely be the last big contest for Carlo Ancelotti as the Madrid coach.
He is under contract through the next campaign but is widely expected to leave the club after a rough season. The team played worse despite adding Mbappe to its squad.
Brazil has been courting Ancelotti for over a year. It appears talks are still ongoing with the veteran manager. Ancelotti has repeatedly deflected questions regarding his future. He says he will announce his plans when the season ends.
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