Barcelona & Real Madrid meet in Clásico no. 5 this season – here's the story so far
In this guest post, La Liga Lowdown's Matt Clark looks ahead to the latest edition of the famous fixture and what we can expect from the Camp Nou clash on Wednesday
(Hola! I’m excited to announce a link-up with La Liga Lowdown and Matt Clark for this Clásico preview. Subscribe to their Substack for daily content on Spanish football. I’ll be making an appearance soon over there too. Gracias! Ben)
Barcelona and Real Madrid arrive in free-scoring mood ahead of a crunch clash in the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final, but how will the game play out?
On Wednesday, Barça and Real will lock horns for the fifth time this season in a game which is likely to have a significant bearing on the end of the domestic season and the future of Carlo Ancelotti.
Real Madrid have won the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup but the defence of their LaLiga crown has collapsed, leaving Barça with an abundance of breathing space in the title race. Yes, Los Blancos are still alive in the Champions League, but this Copa del Rey semi-final has taken on added meaning. With a tough route ahead in Europe, the Copa is perhaps the most likely opportunity for Real to add to their trophy cabinet this season, and preventing Xavi’s side from achieving a domestic treble would be a comfort. For the Italian head coach, it might be necessary to keep him in a job.
“If Real Madrid are happy with me, I will sign until 2034… I won’t talk about my future in the next months.” That was a defiant Ancelotti speaking after the 6-0 victory over Real Valladolid in LaLiga on Sunday.
The four previous Clásicos of this campaign have been hugely contrasting. Back in October, Real sat three points clear at the top following a 3-1 win at the Santiago Bernabéu. Ancelotti’s men were at their clinical best that day, scoring three goals from four shots on target as their rivals were profligate and punished for it.
In the Supercopa final, Barcelona returned the favour, producing a superb performance in Riyadh to secure Xavi his first silverware. Pedri and Gavi dominated the midfield as a Karim Benzema consolation goal was all Real took away from Saudi Arabia. Significantly, Xavi was able to line up his now-familiar first-choice back four of Jules Koundé, Ronald Araújo, Andreas Christensen and Alejandro Balde. This quartet have started eight matches together in all competitions, yielding seven wins and four clean sheets. The only blemish was the Europa League defeat against Manchester United at Old Trafford. Unfortunately for Barça, an injury sustained by Andreas Christensen on international duty with Denmark will prevent this reliable back line from starting together on Wednesday.
Last month saw a strange Copa first leg in the Spanish capital. An own goal was the sole difference between the sides but Barça suffered immensely. They only had 35% of the ball, their lowest figure since 2008, yet Real Madrid failed to have a single shot on target.
Finally, the reverse LaLiga fixture, deemed a must-win for Real if they were to hold on to any hopes of retaining their title. They took the lead but Barça came from behind and grabbed a late winner to extend their lead to 12 points.
The glimmer of hope for madridistas is that in that most recent encounter, Vinícius Júnior troubled Araújo more than in any other match-up, provoking the own goal which gave them the advantage at Camp Nou. In the first Clásico of the season, Vini only had 25 touches, but in the two encounters in March, he had 70 and 60 respectively. Ensuring he is heavily involved in the action will be a key priority in any Real Madrid gameplan. Once again the battle between Vini Jr and Araújo will be central in determining which side will come out on top on Wednesday.
Similarly, the midfield battle will be important. Pedri is still injured and Sergio Busquets has not played since the last Clásico. Eduardo Camavinga has been impressive for Madrid in recent weeks, so if Ancelotti can get the balance right, that could tip the scales in the middle.
His trump card, as always, is Karim Benzema. The Ballon d’Or winner has suffered a stop-start season as injuries and a drop in form has hampered his progress. However, a hat-trick against Valladolid brings him up to speed at the perfect moment for the sprint to the finish line. Business-end Benzema is a different beast, and Xavi will be wary of the impact he could have on the tie.
As for precedents, Real Madrid have precious little to cling to when it comes to reaching the Copa final, having lost the first leg of the semi. Despite their formidable European pedigree, the domestic scene is altogether different. Since 1988, Los Blancos have lost the first leg of a Copa semi on four occasions, but have only produced a remontada once: against Athletic Club in 2002.
With plenty on the line, the last Clásico of the season is set up beautifully. Barça have the slender advantage but Real will be confident of winning at Camp Nou, something they did in LaLiga in both 2020-21 and 2021-22. For the hosts the incentive will be to add to Madrid’s domestic misery, while for Ancelotti it is clear what the implications of defeat could be. One thing is certain: it will be as unmissable as ever.
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