Barcelona – Real Madrid

Real is capable of playing pragmatically

On Sunday, 11 May, Barcelona will play against Real Madrid. This is a crucial match for the entire season in La Liga. Madrid is four points behind the Catalans. If Carlo Ancelotti's team does not win, they will actually lose the race. Barcelona suffered a very upsetting defeat to Inter in the Champions League semi-finals. It will be extremely difficult for the team to recover from such a game. There is also physical fatigue. After all the players spent 120 minutes on the field, while Real were specially preparing for El Clasico. Barcelona again did not act too well in defence. The experiment with a high line in top matches does not always work. Inter scored seven goals in two matches, a serious blow to Hans-Dieter Flick's system. Barcelona also have squad problems in attack right now. Without Robert Lewandowski, the club is losing realisation. Ferran Torres is less useful in the main squad. The Pole is not 100% ready yet, but he can take the field in the next meeting, as he missed almost 90 minutes in the second semi-final. But the condition of the rest of the leaders raises questions: Barça have been playing a gruelling schedule of late, although the coach did give key players a rest in the match against Valladolid last weekend. Real, on the other hand, is currently on a sparing schedule. The team only had a meeting with Barcelona in the King's Cup final on 26 April. After an emotional defeat, Ancelotti's wards produced a mini thriller against Celta. A hard-fought 3-2 victory. The main positive for Real now is the form of Kylian Mbappe. The striker has justified pre-start predictions on goals and may even become the top scorer in La Liga. The Frenchman has scored 24 goals in the league, while Lewandowski has one more. A very big problem for Real Madrid is the suspension of Antonio Rüdiger. For the German, the season is over after a nervous breakdown in the King's Cup final. David Alaba, Daniel Carvajal, Eder Militao, Ferlan Mendy and Daniel Carvajal are still unable to play. Carlo Ancelotti's defence is a disaster. In the centre of defence, they will again have to rely on the combination of Aurélien Tchouameni and Marco Asensio. The pair have previously appeared in top matches, and there have been no global failures. A tough game is in sight. Barcelona will be on the back of fatigue, Real are riddled with injuries. It is possible that this time the teams will not take any risks. Still, the hosts will be satisfied with a draw. Real, if they score first, will definitely go on the defensive. Barcelona may not have enough freshness and movement for another meeting against a top club. Bookmakers give a base total of 3.5 goals. The match is unlikely to be more effective than in the Cup.