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Barcelona and Real Madrid face each other in the first El Clasico of the new season on Saturday.
The El Clasico, always a feisty affair, will lack the usual electric ambience from the stands; in fact, it will be the first El Clasico to be played without fans owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, that only takes away a minuscule charm off the fixture because the Barcelona and Real Madrid rivalry is one of the most historic and fierce ones in club football.
Both teams come into this game on the back of defeats in the La Liga. While Real Madrid succumbed to a shock home defeat against La Liga newcomers Cadiz, Barcelona were stunned by Getafe.
While the Catalan club got back to winning ways in midweek in the UEFA Champions League against Ferencvaros, Zinedine Zidane’s side stuttered to another home defeat, this time at the hands of Shakhtar Donetsk.
Considering the same, Ronald Koeman might feel optimistic in the buildup to his first El Clasico as the Blaugrana manager. However, despite losses in their two previous games, Real Madrid may not succumb as easily against Barcelona.
In fact, the Merengues might as well have the upper hand in the first El Clasico of the season. On that note, let us have a look at five reasons why Barcelona might struggle against Real Madrid.
#5 Unavailability of Marc-Andre Ter Stegen
Marc Andre Ter Stegen is undoubtedly one of the best goalkeepers in the world. What separates the German from the rest is his ability to be consistently good.
Ter Stegen was one of the few bright sparks in the Barcelona team amidst the club's turbulence last season, and his assured presence at the back enabled the Blaugrana to weather a lot of storms.
However, the German custodian is currently recovering from a knee tendon surgery and is unavailable for the game against Real Madrid. Ter Stegen would be a huge miss for Koeman, who will hope Neto to be up for the challenge in his first-ever El Clasico.
#4 The Barcelona backline has already seen two red cards this season
Clement Lenglet almost cost Barcelona all three points in the La Liga game against Celta Vigo earlier this month.
The Blaugrana were leading 1-0 when the Frenchman picked his second yellow of the game for a foul on Denis Suarez in the dying minutes of the first half to receive his marching orders.
However, the Blaugrana rode the brilliance of Lionel Messi and managed to win the game 3-0. Nevertheless, Koeman has issues to resolve in his defence.
Barcelona's defensive indiscipline also came to the fore in the Champions League game against Ferencvaros. What should have been a morale-boosting victory ahead of the game against Real Madrid has turned out to be a glaring reminder of Barcelona’s troubles at the back.
This time, it was Gerard Pique’s vulnerability to pace that came to the fore. The centre-back was given a straight red for a lazy pull-back after opposition striker Tokmac Nguen had beaten Pique for pace.
It was an incident that left a bitter after-taste in Koeman’s mouth but would have had Zidane licking his lips in glee. With a pacy attack, Real Madrid will be aware that they could use Barcelona’s nervy backline to their advantage.
#3 The indifferent form of Antoine Griezmann
Antoine Griezmann’s lack of form since making the switch from Atletico Madrid to Barcelona has baffled everyone.
The Frenchman, who is yet to justify his astronomical transfer fee, has managed just 15 goals in his 52 appearances for Barcelona. Griezmann was expected to find his old form back after the arrival of Koeman, but that hasn't happened yet this season.
Griezmann, who was last selected in the Barcelona playing-eleven in the game against Getafe, fared miserably in that game and squandered easy chances as the Blaugrana endured their first defeat of the season.
In fact, Griezmann's presence in the team only seems to blunt the right side of the Barcelona attack, where he has been utilised by Koeman but has looked uncomfortable.
The Frenchman has appeared four times for Barcelona this season and is yet to find the back of the net. He was an unused substitute in the midweek UEFA Champions League game.
Despite his struggles, there’s no doubt about the quality of Griezmann as a footballer as he has continued to shine in France colours. However, Barcelona’s inability to get the best out of him puts them in a distinct disadvantage ahead of the first El Clasico game of the season.
#2 Barcelona's absence of a natural number 9
When Luis Suarez left the Camp Nou this summer, Barcelona lost a player who had been brilliant for them in the El Clasico in recent years.
The Uruguayan faced Real Madrid 15 times as a Barcelona player, scoring 11 goals and registering five assists. In fact, the last time the Blaugrana lost the El Clasico in the league with Suarez in the team was in April 2016.
Suarez missed the last meeting between the two sides in March this year due to injury, a game that Barcelona lost 0-2.
Since Suarez's arrival at Barcelona, no player has scored more goals in the El Clasico than the Uruguayan striker.
During the same period, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have managed five goals apiece. Interestingly, Suarez has scored the same number of goals in La Liga El Clasicos (nine) as Ronaldo has in his entire career despite playing seven fewer games.
Suarez is also the first Barcelona player other than Messi to score a hattrick against Real Madrid since Brazilian sensation Romario in 1994. To go into the El Claisco without the Uruguayan and without any recognised number 9 in their team would surely be a massive drawback for Barcelona.
#1 Ronald Koeman’s untested 4-2-3-1 formation
Barcelona and the 4-3-3 formation have been a match made in heaven. It is a formation that has worked wonders at the club for years and one that the club's current manager Ronald Koeman has played in as a Barcelona player himself.
However, with Koeman preferring a 4-2-3-1 formation in his starting-eleven since taking charge at the Camp Nou, there’s very little chance that the Dutchman will change his system ahead of the game against Real Madrid.
Since 2006, the 4-3-3 formation has been used in 39 of 46 La Liga games between the two Spanish giants. The 4-2-3-1 formation, as expected, has not been used in any of these games.
Considering the same, Koeman’s 4-2-3-1 system is a huge departure from the tried and tested shapes used by Barcelona for the El Clasico before, something that makes the new formation's effectiveness against Real Madrid very questionable.
Nevertheless, the Barcelona manager remains optimistic about the formation, because it makes the best use of the players at his disposal. However, the El Clasico might just be the first real test of the 4-2-3-1 system at Barcelona.
