The match is round the corner

One of the easiest subjects for football columnists is El Clasico because the two annual instalments between Barcelona and Real Madrid continue to entrance people all over the world. El Clasico, purportedly watched by 500 million on TV, entails the usage of surfeit of superlatives because it not only involves the two biggest clubs in football; it has also been featuring the best players of the planet from the 2009-10 season: Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. As Barca and Real occupy the opposite ends of the ideological spectrum as the cornerstones of Catalan identity and nationalistic ethos respectively, their clashes on the field never lack ammunition. The sub-plot involving Messi and Ronaldo only adds spice to the drama that is already gripping.

This season’s first El Clasico at Real’s home, the Bernabeu, on Saturday comes at a fraught time for Europe in the wake of bloodbath perpetrated by terrorists in Paris. That attempts were made to infiltrate a stadium in which France and Germany were playing a friendly have put La Liga on alert. No single sporting contest grabs more attention than El Clasico and the threat of terrorists using it as a platform to send out a message can’t be discounted. Football fans would be hoping that the only threats that are imminent in the match are of the goal-scoring variety.

Even though La Liga is only 11-round old, the result of Saturday’s match would go a long way in deciding the title. This is a statement one can repeat every year without sounding trite because the title race between the two is getting fiercer with each passing season. With a three-point advantage, Barca hold the whip hand. A win at Real’s home would help them deliver a psychological blow on their rivals and it is more important than extending the lead.

All seems to be not well at Real under Rafael Benitez. The Spaniard breathes football but his managerial methods can be suffocating for players. Even though Benitez has been fairly successful in cup competitions, he hasn’t won a league anywhere since leading Valencia to the La Liga summit in 2003-04. His equation with Ronaldo is reportedly strained and it doesn’t augur well for Real. Nothing can keep the fierce competitor in Ronaldo calm but the Portuguese has a job on his hands to prove that he can fire under any manager. Worryingly for Real, no other big name in their ranks looks capable of leaving an imprint on Saturday’s contest.

For a change, the Messi-Ronaldo rivalry could take a back seat because a knee injury has sidelined the Argentine and he hasn’t played since September. The thrill of featuring in El Clasico seems to have expedited his rehabilitation and don’t be surprised if he takes the field at the Bernabeu. Barca boss Louis Enrique need not fret over the availability of his talisman because Neymar has been leading the line brilliantly in the absence of Messi. The Brazilian has scored 10 goals in 10 matches that were missed by Messi with six assists to boot. Neymar’s combination with Luis Suarez has been deadly and the two are more than capable of sinking Madrid. Many former players are saying Neymar is the best player in the world at the moment and they aren’t far off the mark. If you have any doubt, watch his volleyed goal against Villarreal on YouTube.