El Clasico: Real Madrid Face Off Barcelona, Messi Set To Return
Diego Simeone says he has “no interest” in the result of the Clasico on Saturday as Atletico Madrid aim to close the gap to La Liga’s top two.
“I’ll talk today with him, tomorrow, and it’ll be decided an hour before the game”, the coach said.
“Whether he plays or not is down to the coach, the medics and how he feels but he has been looking sharp in training”. But Enrique admitted that it will be impossible for Messi to hit peak fitness after missing almost two months of action.
Real Madrid has a few questions coming into the match as well, as Karim Benzema is dealing with an off the pitch issue coming into the weekend. James Rodriguez is also missing, but he has only featured in three league games this season. He said Madrid should be considered the “favorite” because it’s at full strength and playing at home.
Needless to say, none of the star-studded selection set to take to the field on Saturday feature on this list…it’s probably for the best. However, rumors of unrest between players and manager have continued to surface throughout the early stages of this season.
From the current form guide to interesting stats from the history book, there is over a century’s worth of El Clasico facts and figures to feast on, and we have brought together the best bits in this accompanying infographic. Obviously it’s a very attractive game because it’s always great to win your eternal rival especially when you play at their stadium.
“It will be an even contest”.
Barcelona: Lionel Messi or Neymar Jr. – depending on if Messi will be risked to start the match.
Messi has not played since injuring his knee at the end of September, during which time champions Barca have pulled three points clear of second-placed Real at the top, largely thanks to the form of Neymar and Luis Suarez. “That’s the best news for us”.
But despite being non-committal in his Friday press conference, Rafa Benitez has seen fit to include Benzema in the starting line-up.
Carragher, who played under Benitez for six years at Liverpool, said he would have formulated an effective strategy to contain Barca, citing his excellent record in big one-off matches. But we know that this won’t be an easy match, it never is.
Real scored 17 times this season before conceding their first goal under Rafael Benitez, but this is at odds with Madrid’s perceived “attacking” philosophy.
“It is necessary to win the points and to keep the competitor from doing it”, Enrique said. “However it’s not going to be definitive.”.