Barcelona and Madrid will face off next Saturday in the first Clasico of the 2013-14 season. Both teams enter that game with tremendous expectations and the chance to move closer to the top spot in the Spanish League.
Both clubs are well known for their attacking abilities, meaning that defense will play an integral part in deciding the game. Here is how the two defenses match up.
Barcelona
With only six goals against in nine games, Barcelona has the best defense in Spain at the moment. The return of Carles Puyol on Saturday against Osasuna enabled Coach Gerardo Martino to rest Gerard Pique and Dani Alves. The two are likely to play against Milan on Tuesday, but will be rested after grueling international duties last week.
Barcelona is still missing Jordi Alba on the wing and has not looked as potent offensively on the flanks. This limited the team's game against Osasuna and will be more problematic against Madrid. Fortunately the team has Adriana, who has scored two goals this season.
Real Madrid
Los Blancos have conceded nine times this season and have one of the more dynamic defenses in the world. Dani Carvajal, if he starts is terrific on the flanks and could cause the Barcelona defense major issues if he pairs up with Angel Di Maria on the right. Marcelo or Fabio Coentrao could be a detriment alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and really put tremendous attacking pressure on Barcelona's left side. Meanwhile the center back combination of Raphael Varane and Sergio Ramos (or Pepe depending on Carlo Ancelotti's choice) will provide the team with stability against the onslaught from Lionel Messi, Xavi Hernandez, Cesc Fabregas, and Andres Iniesta. Ramos and Pepe have both scored this season and provided solid offense for the club.
However, Ancelotti has shown preference for defender Alvaro Arbeloa on the flanks for major matches and could potentially cripple his team in the process. Arbeloa is not an attacking threat and is often problematic in his own half. He will likely have to contain Neymar and could cause his team the game; Neymar burned Arbeloa badly in the Confederations Cup this summer when Brazil and Spain faced off in the final.
Edge: The teams are even.