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FC Barcelona will go head to head with Real Madrid this Sunday at the Camp Nou. Real Madrid has been on a poor run of form, failing to win their last four matches. They set an unwanted record for their scoring drought which lasted for over 450 minutes.
The Blaugrana had been on a poor run as well, but they didn't lose many games and now seem to be back on track with a convincing win against Sevilla.
Going into the El Clasico, Real Madrid are seeing ominous signs from Barcelona. They have already dropped down to 7th place in the league table and are in danger of slipping further down, should they lose the Clasico.
However, a big advantage that they have now is that Lionel Messi will miss the clash, following a fracture to his radial bone in the right hand.
Given Lionel Messi will miss the Clasico. We take a look at 5 players who will be instrumental to Barcelona's success in the Clasico:
#5 Gerard Pique
The Barcelona defensive general is going to be the main man in the back four for Barcelona. Gerard Pique is the only person in the current Barcelona team apart from the injured Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets to play for Barcelona for almost a decade.
Pique doesn’t need any extra motivation while taking the pitch in the Clasico. The presence of his counterpart on the other end of the pitch, Sergio Ramos, is more than enough to get him fired up. He is one of those on the pitch who would put the El Clasico over any trophy.
Keeping all his hatred for Real Madrid aside, Pique is important as he is the most experienced player in the defence. Gerard Pique has to play a role very similar to that of Carles Puyol. He needs to do his defensive duties perfectly and guide Clement Lenglet by his side.
The 31-year-old will also be responsible for giving pieces of advice to his full-backs whether to advance forward or keep tight on the back. Pique has shown a few defensive flaws this season, including his horrific misplaced pass against Leganes. Still, Gerard Pique has been the general of the defence, averaging a block, a tackle and an interception each in every game.
It is a known fact that Pique likes to score goals, especially against Espanyol and Madrid but in Sunday’s El Clasico, his biggest service to Barcelona will be being tight at the back. He should give Benzema only a minimal room to breathe.
He should also guard Sergio Ramos’s headers during corners and free-kicks. He has to deal with balls plummeted in and clear them as far as he could.
Gerard Pique will be a decisive figure in the defence.
#4 Sergio Busquets
In Lionel Messi’s absence, Sergio Busquets will be the captain of the team. Not only will he be the captain but he needs to play a role in dictating the tempo of the game, that Lionel Messi does while dropping deep. His major contribution will be in letting Ivan Rakitic play with freedom, high up the pitch.
Busquets will have a defensive burden but still, Rakitic’s presence is required up front on the pitch. Sergio Busquets also has to make himself the focal point of the team. He needs to be available to receive a pass from all corners of the pitch. He should be dropping into the hole while the full-backs flank the wings and he has to make sure that Luka Modric and Isco don’t come up with something fishy.
Arthur is too young to handle defensive duties and will miss out on his amazing controlling midfield role if he is forced into the deeper part of the pitch. In that case, it has to be Busquets on most occasions, watching out for the through balls from Modric. He should have Rakitic alongside when Real Madrid are on the attacks to cover up Toni Kroos.
Busquets should not only be a defensive pillar but he has to be a vigilant passer that he has always been. He should be looking out for the sneaky runs from Semedo and Alba up the wings. Plus, he should support Arthur or Vidal, whosoever starts in the perfect way.
Most importantly he has to make sure, the team doesn’t let their guard down one bit. Pique will be doing the job in the defensive end, Busquets has to keep his midfielders and forwards awake for the full 90 minutes.
#3 Phillipe Coutinho
Barcelona’s star signing Phillipe Coutinho is expected to start at left wing on Sunday’s Clasico. While Phillipe Coutinho is a beast on the left wing, he has to deal with either Odriozola or Carvajal on the right flank which won’t be an easy task.
In Lionel Messi’s absence, he has to link-up with Jordi Alba and support him in the best way possible. Phillipe Coutinho always cuts inside and shoots from outside the box with his right foot. However, he is up against a much stronger centre-back partnership in Varane and Ramos.
He should no doubt try for shots from clear chances but he has to be unselfish on most occasions and play the pass to Luis Suarez.
During the last Clasico without Lionel Messi, Neymar put on an all-around show. That is what the Blaugrana outfit expects Coutinho to do. Bring a strong strike partnership with Luis Suarez, play the pass when required and pull out the quintessential Coutinho curler from outside the box.
The Brazilian star has every reason to step up with either, a young Dembele or Malcom, governing the other wing. The pressure will be more on the wing with Alba and Coutinho, and Barcelona needs him to come out in flying colours.
Coutinho has been good so far this season, making no mistakes in finishing from outside the box. However, he hasn’t been at the best in forcing his way inside and he has to practise a way to bypass the currently desolate Real Madrid defence.
#2 Luis Suarez
The last El Clasico that Barcelona played without Messi was the 4-0 rout at Bernabeu. The decisive factor in that match was Andres Iniesta, without a doubt, but Luis Suarez was on target twice in the game. He combined with Neymar during Messi’s absence in 2014 with the pair scoring 15 of the 17 Barcelona goals.
On Sunday’s Clasico, the Azulgranas will hope for an inception of a similar strike partnership between Coutinho and Suarez. Suarez assisted the last two goals for Lionel Messi in LaLiga and his dummies were perfect for Lionel Messi to tuck the two goals against Tottenham.
The Uruguayan has to play a similar role with Phillipe Coutinho, picking the perfect pass for Coutinho to hammer home. Suarez sure seems like he is out of form, but he is finding form at the right time.
Suarez was absolutely lethal during the second half against Sevilla, even hitting a top speed of 33kmph. In the El Clasico last season, he scored in Barcelona’s 3-0 win at Bernabeu. He also scored and assisted Messi in the 2-2 draw at the Camp Nou. Suarez always catches fire when he sees white shirts in front of him.
Many people have been calling for the replacement of Luis Suarez. But with all due respects of everyone’s opinion, Luis Suarez is a lethal striker. Not only is he a proven finisher, but he is also a workhorse. He runs all around the field in search of the ball. He plays in terrific passes and he can dummy out of nowhere.
The dummy is a very sophisticated skill and Suarez does it perfectly. This Sunday, Suarez will be Barcelona’s lead striker and Barcelona will look for him to score along with Coutinho. On his day he can cause troubles for any defence in the world, Real Madrid would pray that day is not Sunday.
#1 Marc Andre Ter Stegen
Barcelona’s No.1 has always been a vital part of their success. Perhaps, the second best player in the squad after Lionel Messi, Marc Ter Stegen is one of the most underrated goalkeepers in the world. His performances always go unnoticed and he isn’t considered in the same bracket as De Gea or Courtois.
Ter Stegen has shown his class and his ability to hold together the defence on a lot of occasions. He played as if his life was on the line against Sevilla, denying four to five, clear goal scoring opportunities to the Andalusian side. He was perfect with his reflexes, his dives and his strong hands against Sevilla, making a double-save in two different occasions.
Even against Real Sociedad, Ter Stegen was the difference between the two sides. The blue and white rained attempts on the Barcelona keeper but he didn’t let a ball past him, letting Barcelona hold on to the one-goal lead. Ernesto Valverde’s defensive tactics will only increase pressure on the German, if and when Barcelona take the lead.
The German has to be wary of a lot on Sunday. Particularly, the close range shots from Bale and Asensio, which he is used to dealing from the past Clasicos. Sergio Ramos’ inch-perfect headers are another dangerous threat to his goal. And if these aren’t enough, Luka Modric is capable or letting loose a few long shots and Isco’s free-kicks will be there.
The German has to continue on his fiery form and hope for full support from the back four.
