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The El Clasico is the biggest football fixture in the world. Barcelona and Real Madrid have shared a bitter rivalry in this game for a long time. The two giants have been entertaining spectators with a lot of memorable performances on the world's biggest stage.
In fact, the depth and intensity of this great rivalry go beyond the Spanish border. The whole world will gather to watch this fantastic encounter when Barcelona host Real Madrid at the Camp Nou on Sunday (La Liga). With over 600 million spectators, it is one of the most watched sporting events in history. Seeing the greatest players displaying their amazing talents on the pitch is an unforgettable experience for soccer fans. The likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Luis Suarez, Luka Modric and Andres Iniesta will be ready to make the clash a memorable one.
The El Clasico has always been a tough game. The two sides have met on 236 occasions. Out of these 236 matches, Barcelona won 92, Real Madrid won 95, while the remaining 49 are draws. The Catalans also have 384 goals in this great fixture while their rivals have 399. Such is the intensity of this fixture that it is highly anticipated every season.
According to the statistics, Real Madrid have a very slight advantage in the El Clasico. However, Barcelona have dominated the rivalry for the past few years. The last time the two clubs met, the Catalans came out victorious, defeating Los Blancos 3-0 at the Bernabeu. Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, and Aleix Vidal scored on this fantastic night.
Barcelona have enjoyed a successful campaign this season, winning both the La Liga and the Copa Del Rey trophies. They will be facing Real Madrid for their 35th La Liga game of the season, during the weekend. The fact that Barcelona has already won the La Liga with few games to go has inspired some people to downplay the relevance of this great fixture.
However, the match is just as important to the club as the previous ones they have played. In fact, they Catalans still have all to play for and below are 3 reasons why the game is a must-win for the club:
#3 Prestige
Nothing can be compared with the feeling that Barcelona fans derive from watching their club destroy Real Madrid in the El Clasico. This is because the El Clasico is not a stage where you fight for just 3 points. Rather, it is a battle of ego, prestige, and superiority. In fact, victory on this particular stage cannot be compared with victory in any other clash. Such is the level of prestige that comes with winning in this great fixture.
Therefore, the Blaugrana need to step up at the vital moment and make their fans proud by defeating their bitter rivals at the Camp Nou on Sunday. Prestige is what they must fight for, and they need to ensure they don't lose it in front of their own supporters.
The Blaugrana won the reverse leg of this fixture, beating Los Blancos 3-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu in December. So, all eyes will be on them to produce another dominant display at their home ground by the weekend. This is another reason why they should not take it easy with their rivals as a loss here will bring a lot of embarrassment.
#2 The Unbeaten Run
Barcelona had an amazing campaign this year. The Blaugrana have been very impressive since the beginning of the season, with a lot of eye-catching performances in the Spanish top flight.
The club is yet to taste a single defeat in La Liga this term. Out of their 34 league matches this season, they have won 26, drawn 8 and lost none in the Spanish top flight. They are the only club to have achieved such a record across Europe's top 5 leagues this season.
However, their unbeaten run will face a big test when they lock horns with their arch-rivals, Real Madrid on Sunday. After humiliating Los Blancos at the Bernabeu in December, manager Zinedine Zidane and his men will be planning for revenge and stopping Barcelona's unbeaten run will be a great one.
The Catalans have just 4 matches left to match the invincibles, therefore, this game is a 'do or die' affair for them. They need to put in a great performance and ensure they win the El Clasico on Sunday.
#1 A Perfect Farewell To Andres Iniesta
At the end of this season, the El Clasico will be losing one of the greatest players in it's long and illustrious history. Barcelona legend, Andres Iniesta has finally announced that he will depart the club in the summer after 16 years of exceptional service. This implies that the Spaniard will be playing his last El Clasico match on Sunday.
Therefore, Barcelona must make Iniesta's last El Clasico match a memorable one by defeating Real Madrid when the two sides meet during the weekend. After several years of serving the club, Iniesta deserves a perfect farewell and a victory on Sunday will be a nice one.
A rare gem and an immensely talented player, Iniesta has been one of the brightest superstars in the fixture for the past few years. He is also one of the amazing pioneers of the Barcelona golden era.
All stats from Whoscored
All-time records from Wikipedia
