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The El Clasico could not have come at a worse time for Real Madrid. Reeling from two consecutive shock losses to Cadiz and Shakhtar Donetsk respectively, the reigning Spanish champions have looked shorn of ideas and full of worrying weaknesses at the start of the 2020-21 season.
Real Madrid managed to wrestle the La Liga crown away from their eternal rivals last season. But they have already shown enough signs of not being as fool-proof a unit as the ones that regularly triumphed on the European stage during Zinedine Zidane 1.0.
5 reasons why Real Madrid might struggle against Barcelona
The Merengues face a Barcelona team who are themselves undergoing a revamp under a new coach, but it appears that the latter are the favourites entering the first El Clasico of the new season. Here's why Real Madrid will find the going tough in this classic rivalry this time.
#1 Real Madrid are in horrendous form and short on confidence
Let's get the obvious reason out of our way, shall we? Not many predicted Real Madrid to lose to newly-promoted Cadiz in the weekend, many of whose players were playing in the lower division just last season.
However, that loss was followed by another shocker. Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk, who were missing ten of their first-team regular players due to them being in quarantine, tore apart Real Madrid at the latter's home.
Let's not forget that Real Madrid have now only won one of their last seven Champions League home games. Though they won the La Liga title after the restart last season, often luck favoured them, and sometimes willpower shown by the likes of Sergio Ramos got them through.
Real Madrid have already dropped points in their league defence this season and as such enter this game after hitting a nadir.
#2 Defensive frailties
It's fair to say that Real Madrid won the league last season on the back of an impeccable defensive performance. Raphael Varane and Sergio Ramos were at the peak of their powers at the heart of the backline and helped create a watertight rearguard that leaked few goals. But there were cracks visible in the formidable defensive partnership last season itself.
When Ramos did not play, most notably in the Champions League Round of 16 loss to Manchester City, Varane became error-prone. The Frenchman's own goal against Shakhtar Donetsk in midweek that came in a similar situation with Ramos out portends worrying times for the capital club.
In Ramos' absence, Eder Militao and Varane have not looked good together, and Real Madrid lack quality bench strength in this department.
More worryingly, the loss of Dani Carvajal to injury means that the whole Real Madrid backline has been imbalanced. Ferland Mendy has had to slot in on the right, with Marcelo getting his spot back in the left of the defence as the other regular right-back Alvaro Odriozola is also out with an injury.
Zidane himself has admitted that Real Madrid could have been down by two or three goals at half-time against Cadiz, something that did happen against Ukrainian opposition later.
However, for all of Marcelo's flair as an attacker, he seems to have lost some of his pace, and Real Madrid's defence looks very susceptible to counter-attacks right now. With Lionel Messi cutting in from the right, Barcelona will fancy their chances of slicing open Real Madrid more often than both Shakhtar and Cadiz did.
#3 Lack of attacking thrust
Only one B remains of the famed BBC triumvirate. We are of course talking about Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo, the famed attacking trio that won Zidane and Real Madrid the UEFA Champions League countless times and set the La Liga on fire.
While Karim Benzema still remains a potent threat, Real Madrid are still to replace the other two maestros. Eden Hazard has been a huge flop show so far, and Luka Jovic might have got his last chance to lead the line for Real Madrid when the latter did so against Shakhtar Donetsk.
Other Real Madrid attackers like Vinicius Jr. and Marco Asensio have skills and potential galore, but they are yet to fill the big shoes of their illustrious predecessors that took Real Madrid to the summit of the game.
The Merengues began their La Liga title defence with a goalless draw against Real Sociedad and have only found the back of the net six times in five league games so far, a worrying trend that began last season itself.
Meanwhile, Barcelona have looked good at the back this season, only letting in two goals in the league so far. Even with good service from Toni Kroos and Luka Modric, Real Madrid might struggle to score against their biggest rivals if the current trends continue.
#4 Zinedine Zidane looks bereft of ideas
It might be hard to believe for many, but one of the best coaches in world football, the one who took Real Madrid to multiple UEFA Champions League trophies, the one who resurrected their fortunes after taking charge of the club for a second time, looks to be bereft of freshness this season.
Often, Real Madrid have looked lost when on the ball and are suffering from a lack of innovation in attack as well. Though Zinedine Zidane has both shouldered the blame for the losses and said that he could turn around the club's fortunes once more, it seems quite improbable that he could do it by Saturday against the club's biggest rivals.
#1 Barcelona look the better team than Real Madrid at the moment
Not many gave him a chance when he took over the mutinous and ruinous mess that was Barcelona this season, but Ronald Koeman has masterminded a mini-turnaround at the club. Koeman has even got the previously reluctant Lionel Messi playing the way the diminutive Argentine normally does: brilliantly.
Barcelona have looked great going forward, having netted eight times in the league already from four games while looking pretty solid at the back.
The loss to Getafe was a blip, but Messi and Co., who roared back into form with a 5-1 mauling of Ferencvaros, definitely arrive in this game in a more confident frame of mind than that of the Los Blancos.
