Internationals: Done. La Liga back: Check. Big fixture to look forward to: Oh yes.
El Clasico is on our doorstep once more, as Real Madrid prepare to host Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu, meaning little or none of the rest of the world will really matter as Saturday evening approaches. Fans of multi-screen watching will be delighted to hear, though, that Schalke vs. Bayern Munich and Manchester City vs. Liverpool will be on at the same time. Spoiled indeed.
There's no getting around it for Real Madrid fans: This time out, the pressure is all on their team. They're at home, they're chasing in the league table—albeit by a margin of a single victory—and they are decidedly less in form than their rivals. All told, it should make for a great spectacle for the neutral viewer, with Real determined to push forward and Barcelona able to exploit spaces whenever possible.
It's normally a straightforward selection process to pick each side's best team, but this time the starting XIs will depend on fine margins.
Karim Benzema is hoping to be fit after a month out for the hosts, while Sergio Ramos is relying on his damaged shoulder to last another 90 minutes before it takes a well-earned rest for surgery. Keylor Navas has missed the last two Liga matches but has been back in training, and James Rodriguez came back from international duty unscathed for once.
Marca's verdict is that Rafael Benitez has an entire squad to choose from; everyone trained on Thursday, and the treatment room was empty for once. AS, on the other hand, said Benzema is still a doubt.
For Barcelona, the big flip of a coin is obviously over whether Lionel Messi returns to fitness. He has been out since Gameweek 6, injured against Las Palmas, and this fixture was always the aimed-for return date. It's not just Messi, though, with Ivan Rakitic also battling to overcome his fitness issues in time—though Marca reported he trained normally during the week and looks ready to return.
Once the teams are selected and the star names take to the field, there are myriad other points to watch out for.
Gerard Pique knows he will be in line for some special treatment from the home crowd—already dubbed the "Santiago Bernaboo" on account of the jeers that will be aimed his way—who will delight in every mistake the centre-back makes.
There will be the eternal battle of the front-line trios, BBC against MSN (assuming the "M" makes it, of course) and a succession of players on show who can, on current form, claim to be among the best in the world with their displays this season—Keylor in goal, Sergio Busquets in midfield, Neymar in attack. Those three in particular have been standouts, though the quality in both lineups is as self-evident as it is endless.
One interesting, if slightly irrelevant, point to note is the battle in the dugouts between Benitez and Luis Enrique, which sees two Spanish managers oversee La Liga's biggest game for the first time since 2009, per Marca. That occasion—with Juande Ramos and Pep Guardiola in charge respectively—saw the Catalan club run out 6-2 winners.
That victory generates plenty of memories for Andres Iniesta, but he wasn't drawn on criticising the current Madrid side. Per AS:
I have all kinds of memories [of El Clasico]. We’ve had some great games. In the Bernabeu, undoubtedly the 6-2 win is the outstanding one, but there have been some other hugely important wins. That’s the line we have to follow, they’ll have chances too, but most important is to be protagonists and take our chances.
That [this Real team is weak] would be a foolhardy thing to say. When I get asked about Real Madrid I always say the same thing: they’re a powerful rival, even more so at home in front of their fans. It’s too early for this game to be definitive, we can’t kid ourselves, but we want to stretch that distance at the top of the table. We have to play our way and if we do we have a chance of going home with all three points.
It's telling, perhaps, that even considering Real need to go for the win the most, Barcelona still want to.
El Clasico is always a spectacle in the buildup, but this time the ingredients are there to make it another memorable classic in terms of the on-pitch entertainment too.
Jornada 12 (KO times GMT, per Soccerway)
Saturday
Real Sociedad vs. Sevilla
Real Madrid vs. Barcelona
Espanyol vs. Malaga
Valencia vs. Las Palmas
Deportivo La Coruna vs. Celta Vigo
Sunday
Sporting Gijon vs. Levante
Villarreal vs. Eibar
Granada vs. Athletic Club
Real Betis vs. Atletico Madrid
Monday
Getafe vs. Rayo Vallecano
What to Watch out for This Weekend
Part 1: Consistency from Athletic
Aside from table-toppers Barcelona, the Spanish side on the best winning streak at present is Basque team Athletic Club. With Inaki Williams finding fitness and in unstoppable form of late, as well as the dual central threat of Raul Garcia and Aritz Aduriz working well together, Athletic have shot up the table on the back of three successive wins—and they have recorded six wins from seven in all competitions.
Their form is a total contrast to earlier in the season, when some of their fringe players were called upon to feature more prominently. The quality gap between the best starting XI and the second string is hugely evident.
Away to Granada on Sunday, it's a big chance for Athletic to continue their winning run against one of the weakest defences in La Liga—Granada have only won once this term, drew four in a row recently and have conceded 20 goals already, one of only three teams to reach that landmark after 11 games this term.
It's not inconceivable Athletic could push themselves higher and become part of the race for the top four if their key players maintain fitness, but to do so they'll certainly need to continue showing consistency against bottom-half clubs. That means maintaining their winning streak for a while longer, with all their next three fixtures against lesser sides.
Part 2: Room for Impact in Atleti Attack
Jackson Martinez picked up an injury on international duty with Colombia, which means the misfiring striker will in all probability be absent from Atletico Madrid's teamsheet on Sunday. The natural response from manager Diego Simeone would be to switch in Fernando Torres for Jackson, with the two having largely time-shared a single position this season.
Whoever comes into that position knows they have an opportunity; Simeone typically allows the possessor of the shirt to keep it if they are performing well and helping the side win, but aside from Antoine Griezmann, none of the attackers have really done that enough yet this term.
Luciano Vietto is fit once more after being absent since his late equaliser in the derby against Real in October, so he's another option—though perhaps only off the bench. Finally, there may be the temptation for Simeone to push Yannick Ferreira Carrasco further forward, switch Koke central and play a 4-3-3; it has been an option for in-game switching this season, though he hasn't really started a game with that system in La Liga.
If it happens, though, Angel Correa might be the player to get the nod, providing pace, aggression and goals aplenty in the front line.
Player to Watch: Yevhen Konoplyanka, Sevilla
Yes, all 22 (and the subs, especially if Messi is benched) from El Clasico—but there's little point in noting another one of them here and leaving out the rest.
Instead, consider the importance of consistency and end product in attack for a team aiming to surge up the table and compete for a spot in the top four. Sevilla have had a hugely inconsistent start to the season but their win over Real Madrid last time out showed they have the absolute talent to win games, big games, especially with their threat down the left channel of the pitch.
Yevhen Konoplyanka was simply outstanding in that match and has been a real threat for Sevilla since signing in summer, even early on when he wasn't starting and simply coming off the bench as a sub.
It's conceivable he won't be involved from the start more often at present, so the onus is on him to show he is able to replicate that devastating insistence on beating his man and delivering end product, even when he's not in front of millions of viewers against the biggest clubs in the world.
Game of the Weekend: Real Madrid vs. Barcelona
Well, obviously. We usually make a point of looking at different matches in this section, but there's no getting around the fact this one perhaps the biggest league fixture in world football these days.
There's little more to add to what we've already said except perhaps to note where the key battles will be.
Danilo vs. Neymar. One Brazilian has been in outstanding form; the other was ripped apart when faced by a pacy wide attacker last time out. Dani Carvajal would be the better choice to play right-back for Real Madrid.
Luka Modric vs. Sergio Busquets. If Real Madrid are to win, you can bet Modric will be central to the best work they do. He doesn't just help break down opposition attacks—he gets his team playing quickly, moves them up the pitch and follows play around brilliantly. On the flip side, there's nobody better at stopping that kind of movement and quick breaks than Busquets.
Keylor Navas vs. Luis Suarez. Suarez will get shots away however he needs to. Keylor has been almost unbeatable this season. It's almost an unstoppable force-immovable object scenario between these two.
James Rodriguez vs. Jordi Alba. The left-back has been a little quiet offensively this season, making the runs but not always delivering the end product. Defensively, he has never been hugely aware or proficient, but he is diligent and extremely fast, able to react and recover positionally. James, though, is one of the best in the business with regard to intelligent movement, finding space and making use of a half-cleared second ball.
Predictions and Tips
Home wins: Valencia, Sporting and Villarreal.
Away wins: Athletic, Atletico and Sevilla.
Both teams to score: Real Sociedad vs. Sevilla, Real Madrid vs. Barcelona and Getafe vs. Rayo Vallecano.
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