Real Madrid ‘will attack’ Barcelona

Luis Enrique said Saturday’s game will be a complicated and attractive one for the Barcelona team but, no matter the result, it will not determine the outcome of the Liga season. “I’ll speak to him today and tomorrow, and an hour before, things will be decided”. According to Goal.com, Benzema will play on Saturday in El Clasico along with Sergio Ramos and James Rodriguez. According to ESPN FC, Luis Enrique said that Messi will be a “match-time decision” for the game.

There is no bigger match in world soccer than El Clasico: Barcelona vs. Real Madrid.

Messi is the top scorer in the history of El Clasico, with 21 career goals against Real Madrid, including 14 in La Liga play.

“I don’t have things planned that well”.

Another player battling for fitness is midfielder Ivan Rakitic, who has been doubtful for the game since suffering a calf strain in a Champions League clash with BATE Borisov earlier this month.

“We don’t tend to plan around who is playing for the opposition, although you have to adapt to certain patterns”, he said. “To me, Karim is the best player in the world in his position and not just as a goalscorer”. The boss admits that the Argentine is “not 100%”, with him yet to play a game since injuring his left knee during a win over Las Palmas in September.

FIGHTING FOR THE LEAD: Barcelona has a three-point lead over Real Madrid going into the match, but a loss will drop the Catalan club to second in the standings on goal difference. At the moment, his side boast the best offense, having scored 26 goals leading up to this fixture, and the best defense having allowed only seven goals – three of those being scored by Sevilla.

Barcelona: Lionel Messi or Neymar Jr. – depending on if Messi will be risked to start the match.

Hristo Stoichkov, the former Barcelona forward and 1994 Ballon d’Or victor, went one step further by declaring Ronaldo should not even make the podium for this year’s individual honors award.

“Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez is how the Ballon d’Or podium should look in January”, Stoichkov said.

The match will be played under unprecedented security measures after a string of deadly attacks in Paris a week ago that killed 129 people. Neymar has netted 11 goals in La Liga this year.

“There will be at least 1,000 police from the national force, which is double what is normal for a game like this, 1,400 private security guards and on top of this there will be the municipal police”, Martinez added.