El Clasico 2017: 5 key individual battles

El Clasico stands out as one of the most gruesome encounters in world football as FC Barcelona and Real Madrid go neck to neck in this promising encounter. The Clasico has been linked with much more than 90 minutes on the field.The match has a history linked with political and moral issues, which only add to the mix making the Clasico much more than just a match.The two Spanish giants are set to renew their age-old rivalry in yet another promising Clasico scheduled to be contested on the 23rd of December. Real Madrid host league leaders FC Barcelona at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu for their Matchday 17 clash in La Liga.Barcelona currently enjoy a rather comfortable position on top of the table, six points clear of their nearest contenders and eleven points clear of Madrid, who have played a game less due to commitments in the FIFA Club World Cup. Real Madrid just beat Gremio in the final of the 2017 FIFA Club World Cup in UAE Barcelona have a golden opportunity to move fourteen points clear of their eternal rivals and a victory in the Spanish Capital would establish the Catalans as sheer favourites to retain their Spanish crown.The Catalans travel to the Spanish capital after a 4-0 home rout of Deportivo at the Nou Camp in a game which saw the Catalans strike the woodwork five times, miss one penalty and were also tragically denied yet another goal as Luis Suarez's effort was parried after the ball clearly crossed the line.Barcelona seem to be on songLionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, the poster boys of the Clasico have both underlined the importance of the upcoming clash and would certainly be required to be on the top of their game to edge out a victory in this promising clash.&quot;It would be important to win for what it means, it's always a special game.&quot; - MessiBarcelona's Guillermo Amor added to their build-up of the all-important game as he only recently ruled out the possibility of the Catalans giving the Blancos a Guard of Honor, a gesture which Cristiano Ronaldo demanded.That being said, let's look at 5 key clashes that might shape up the result of the monumental clash:#5 Sergio Busquets vs CasemiroSergio Busquets - The Octopus of BadiaThe anchors in the midfield and fulcrum to provide fluidity to the attack, Sergio Busquets and Casemiro both have earned their rightful place in the starting lineup of Barcelona and Real Madrid, respectively.The Spaniard certainly have an upper edge over the Brazilian owing to his experience and flair on the ball but the Brazilian's attacking prowess and an ability to score on set-pieces make him a strong contender to go face to face against The Octopus of Badia. Busquets has been impressive under Ernesto Valverde, getting more of the ball and has only solidified his partnership with Leo Messi.The creative midfielder is undoubtedly one of the most crucial elements of the Barcelona system and marking Sergio Busquets would be a daunting task for the Brazilian midfielder.Busquets has the ability to skill past one or two odd midfielders and provide a killer ball upfront to make a goal out of nothing, whereas Casemiro has the physicality and presence of mind to be at the right place in the right moment for that perfect interception.Casemiro has grown rather well at Real MadridRafa Benitez's failure to calculate the risk posed by Busquets and providing him ample of space to construct offensive moves is regarded as one of the major reasons for Barcelona's 4-0 victory of Real Madrid in 2015, and it acts as a lesson for Zinedine Zidane to lay out his plans perfectly and limit out the threat posed by the Spaniard.Casemiro's attacking influence would also be crucial in determining the result of the tie.La Liga 2017 stats comparision:Passing accuracy: Busquets (90.8%) - Casemiro (87.7%)Goals: Busquets (1) - Casemiro (3)Assists: Busquets (2) - Casemiro (0)

El Clasico 2017: 5 key individual battles

#4 Gerard Pique vs Sergio Ramos