The hotly anticipated Clasico is only weeks away and Latinos Post will examine the ins and outs of the most exciting match in world soccer between Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Through seven weeks this season, both sides have showcased their talents in both the Spanish League and Champions League. Here is what the two titans have shown.
Barcelona
The defending champions are a perfect 8-0-0 through the first eight weeks of the campaign and have proven to be the cream of the Spanish League. Four of the eight wins have been blowouts by three or more goals and four of the victories have been the result of clean sheets. Moreover, Barcelona has scored four or more goals in four of the matches and has put the ball in the net at least three or more times in six of those games as well.
However, not all has been rosy for Gerardo Martino's club. Barcelona was outplayed in a 4-0 win over Rayo Vallecano and lost the possession battle for the first time in years. The team has also had three straight one-goal victories early in the season; they almost failed to defeat Sevilla if not for Lionel Messi's heroics.
That brings us to the next point: Messi. The superstar has eight of Barcelona's 28 goals and factored into 11 of them. The club has done well in the Spanish League without him last week, but struggled immensely without him in the Champions League match against Celtic. If not for a red card, Barcelona probably ends up drawing that match.
Messi could be back in time for the Clasico but his absence could be a major blow to Barcelona.
Real Madrid
Los Blancos are in prime position to win back the Spanish League title but have struggled under Coach Carlo Ancelotti despite their 6-1-1 record. Four of the victories have come by one goal and one of them was the result of a controversial penalty call in the waning minutes of extra time. Madrid was outplayed at home by Atletico Madrid and barely generated any palpable offense. Cristiano Ronaldo has been terrific for the club, but Isco has been inconsistent at times as the central attacking midfielder and Karim Benzema has been a disaster all year long. How about new addition Gareth Bale? The 100 million euro man has barely featured for Madrid due to injuries.
The team has thrived in the Champions League with 10 goals scored and only one conceded in two matches. While the club has not been tested in that tournament, the high goal-scoring certainly bodes well for Madrid's chances heading into the Clasico on Oct. 26.
Advantage: Barcelona has clearly been the better team thus far, but whether or not the club can survive this meeting without Messi is to be determined.