Prediction: Real Madrid vs Barcelona

9th December 2011

All eyes will be on Santiago Bernabeu come Saturday evening as arguably two world’s best sides are set to face each other in search of La Liga glory. Real Madrid may have a three-point cushion at the top as well as a game in hand, but it is Barcelona who are still considered the rulers of both Spain and Europe, so we can expect to see a fiery encounter between two evenly matched sides.

Real Madrid have been spending piles of cash on new players over the last few years, but they could never really match their fierce rivals Barcelona, with the Catalans enjoying plenty of success of both domestic and international stage. Los Blancos soon realized that they would need a world-class coach in addition to the expensively assembled squad if they are to have any chance of upsetting the order in Spanish La Liga and they managed to find the very best in Jose Mourinho. The Portuguese manager kept improving the quality of the squad week in week out and we can now safely say that Real Madrid are on par with Barcelona, which looked almost impossible just a couple of years back. Los Blancos needed some time to hit the ground running this term, but they have been absolutely amazing ever since that happened, with the 15-match winning run the perfect proof. The hosts clearly enter this clash high on confidence and extremely motivated to prove they are second-best to none this season, so I definitely expect a strong performance for los Merengues. Jose Mourinho is set to deploy a 4-3-3 formation, with Alonso, Khedira and Diarra in midfield, whereas Karim Benzema looks likely to be preferred to Gonzalo Higuain.

It’s been a while since Barcelona last trailed Real Madrid in La Liga standings, and the extra pressure could prove to be a problem for Pep Guardiola’s side. The Catalans have played well this season, but numerous slip-ups in the early stage of the league campaign showed that they will not be able to defend the league title if they are not on top of their game in every single match. Being three points adrift of Real, who also have a game in hand, Barcelona have got to try everything to win this clash, but I am simply not convinced they can stop high-flying Real Madrid. The Catalans are likely to dominate the proceedings thanks to Iniesta, Xavi and Fabregas, but neither the attack nor defence look too impressive at the moment, which could end up costing them previous points. With midfielder Javier Mascherano and slow Eric Abidal at the back, Barca will struggle to contain the likes of Ronaldo, Benzema and Di Maria. The absence of Carles Puyol could also prove costly.

Conclusion

The time has come for Real Madrid to beat Barcelona in a major game and to get revenge for all the defeats los Merengues have had to endure over the years. I still expect to see a very even game where a moment of inspiration could decide the winner, but I just cannot look past Real in this one.

Verdict: Home win Real Madrid (1)

Best Odds: 3/2

Bookmaker: Paddy Power