Prediction: Real Madrid vs Barcelona

28th August 2012

If it wasn’t for the Spanish Super Cup, we would only be watching two El Clasicos per season, which would be a huge waste for the game of football. Barcelona’s 3-2 win in the first leg should guarantee us plenty of excitement at Santiago Bernabeu, quite a few goals and more of the inevitable comparisons between Messi and Ronaldo. What more could you ask for from a football match?

This game comes at a bad time for Real Madrid given that los Blancos are without a win in first three games of the season, which is their worst start in last 39 years. However, a victory over arch rivals in the return leg and the Super Cup triumph could compensate for the under-par showings in the opening stage of the La Liga campaign, so no wonder the outcome of this tie could have a big effect on team’s future performances. There have finally been some good news for Real fans as Luka Modric competed his move from Tottenham to conclude one of the longest transfer sagas in the history of La Liga, but the Croat obviously cannot be expected to make an instant impact at the Bernabeu, even if he is likely to be included in the squad for the Barcelona game. Both Jose Mourinho and his men will be delighted to welcome back centre-back Pepe to the side, especially after Raul Albiol’s disappointing showing at Camp Nou. Fabio Coentrao is available despite the red card he received against Getafe, while Sami Khedira is set to return after he was rested against Getafe.

Barcelona did well to create an advantage before the return leg after coming from a goal behind to record a 3-2 victory, although they could have done without Victor Valdes’ blunder that helped keep the tie alive for their opponents. Carrying a one-goal advantage to Santiago Bernabeu and going into the came full of confidence, Barcelona have every right to feel optimistic before the clash at Santiago Bernabeu, especially as the pressure will be on Real Madrid given their dismal start to the season. The Catalans may have been far from impressive against Osasuna, but they showed a lot of character to overcome a one-goal deficit and create a five-point advantage over Real in La Liga. Leo Messi once again proved the match winner by bagging his fourth and fifth goal of the season, giving Real Madrid defenders food for thought prior to the crunch tie at Santiago Bernabeu. Carles Puyol’s injury marred the triumph over Osasuna, although the latest news suggest that the captain could start in spite of the broken cheekbone. New signing Alex Song is hoping to be handed a competitive debut, but he is likely to start on the bench alongside David Villa.

Conclusion

Considering the tremendous pressure they are in, Real Madrid would struggle to beat Barcelona even if they were on top of their game at the moment, which is clearly not the case. Unlike their bitter rivals, los Blancos usually need a couple of weeks to hit the ground running, and that could cost them the first trophy of the season.

Verdict: Double chance on Barcelona

Best Odds: 1/2

Bookmaker: Stan James