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Barcelona and Real Madrid will face each other for the second time this season. It will be a memorable match as two of the greatest clubs in the world will battle each other in an intense rivalry match. Fans are getting ready for this exciting encounter that is set to take place on the 6th of May, 2018.
Real Madrid will be back into league action after they narrowly overcame Bayern Munich to make it to a third consecutive Champions League final. The Madridstas will be looking forward to spoiling Barcelona's party when the two sides meet at the Camp Nou on Sunday.
Barcelona, on the other hand, have had a very brilliant season. They claimed both the La Liga and Copa Del Rey trophies. They also emerged victorious in their first El-Clasico this season, destroying Real Madrid 3-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu in December.
The Catalans will be looking forward to inflicting more pain on their arch-rivals when they meet at the Camp Nou on Sunday. It will be a great thing if they can make their fans proud by defeating the Galacticos in the game. It will also be a perfect farewell to Andres Iniesta who will be playing his last El-Clasico for the club.
Therefore, let's take a look at how the Blaugrana should arrange their squad to get the better of their rivals on Sunday:
Formation - 4-3-3
Goalkeeper
Marc Andre Ter Stegen should be given the nod in this intense match. The German has produced a lot of brilliant displays this season. Therefore, he should be at the goalpost on Sunday.
Defence:
Barcelona's defenders will need to be at their best in this game as Real Madrid are a fierce attacking team. They will have a big task of stopping the explosive impacts of Cristiano Ronaldo, Marco Asensio, and Karim Benzema. They have already done that this season, giving the Real Madrid attackers a tough night as Barca triumphed 3-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu. Therefore, they need to reach that level of performance for the upcoming clash.
Ernesto Valverde needs to be very careful with his selection at the backline. Samuel Umtiti has been rock-solid this season, especially in the big games. The Frenchman successfully kept Real Madrid attackers silent in the first leg. Therefore, the 24-year-old should start at centr-back.
Gerrard Pique should partner with Samuel Umtiti at the heart of the defense in this important clash. The Spaniard will be very important, especially in the air. Real Madrid pose a lot of aerial threats, therefore Pique should be deployed to make clearances and also take part in aerial duels. Besides, his experience in this particular fixture makes him undisputable.
At right-back, Sergi Roberto should be given a chance to continue with his impressive performances. Barcelona will need him for this clash due to his composure and his ability to take the ball forward into the attacking zone. The Spaniard won his battle against Marcelo in the previous fixture, therefore Ernesto Valverde should be counting on him on Sunday.
The left-back position should be occupied by Jordi Alba. The Spaniard has had one of his best campaigns in the Barcelona shirt this season. His incredible ability to contribute heavily to Barca's attack while not lacking behind in his defensive duties is priceless. He should be deployed on the left as he will be a constant threat to Real Madrid's defense from there. His ability to push the ball forward as well as linking up with both Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta will be key to Barcelona's attack.
Midfield:
The midfield battle between Barcelona and Real Madrid could become the decisive factor in the game. Therefore, the Blaugrana will need to be very careful and really intelligent here. They need to dominate the possession and keep the likes of Toni Kross and Luka Modric at bay. This will allow them to control the game, create balance and starve the Los Blancos attackers of supply.
As usual, Andres Iniesta should be given the role to lead Barcelona's midfield. The veteran midfielder is a specialist at controlling the game, keeping possession and unleashing killer passes into the opposition box. On his day, the Spaniard can single-handedly win the midfield battle for his team with his amazing talent.
With Iniesta starting on the left, Ivan Raitic should occupy the right side of the midfield. The Croatian has proved that he is a big-game player with his superb displays in the recent El-Clasico matches. Marking tightly, stopping opposition attacks and picking up the right passes, Rakitic will be necessary for Ernesto Valverde in this big clash.
The defensive midfield role should be wide open for Sergio Busquets. The Spaniard is one of the brightest players in the Barcelona camp this season. His incredible ability to anchor Barcelona's midfield as well as taking part in the defensive duties is what the Blaugrana need to compliment their midfield.
Attack:
For the past few years, the El Clasico has been like an attacking contest between Barcelona and Real Madrid. The two sides have some of the finest attackers on the planet, with two of the greatest superstars in history participating in this heavily anticipated match. Barcelona will have a lot of attacking duties to perform if they really want to edge their rivals in the upcoming fixture.
Yes. Barcelona has what it takes to win the battle up front. The only thing is that there would be no room for mistakes in this intense match. Therefore, the best person to lead their attack is the magical Lionel Messi.
Lionel Messi has proved many times that he is truly the king of the El Clasico. The Argentine is a well-known enemy of the Los Blancos. Dribbling his way through the midfielders, tearing the defenders apart and humiliating the goalkeepers, Leo has single-handedly destroyed Real Madrid on several occasions in his career. If the Barca legend is able to match just 65% of his performances in the El Clasico, he will definitely win the game for his club. The playmaker has an amazing record in Spain's most important fixture and will be hoping to build on that when they meet on Sunday.
With Messi leading the attack from the left, Luis Suarez should be deployed up front. The striker is in a great form at the moment and will be very important for the classic match. His finishing is perfect and he also has a very good record in the El Clasico. In fact, the Uruguayan scored the opener when the two sides met in December and the manager will be counting on him to repeat that feat on Sunday.
Barcelona will need a brilliant attacker to complete their 3-man attack. The perfect man for the job is January recruit, Philippe Coutinho. The Brazilian joined Barca in the winter and ever since then, he has been at a brilliant level. He has also proved that he is a big game player with his decent performances in the recent games against Atletico Madrid and Sevilla.
He will be needed in this high-profile match because of his creativity and understanding of the game. The playmaker will torment Real Madrid's defense from the left and consistently send killer passes into the box. With the presence of the former Liverpool man, Luis Suarez will not be short of chances in the danger zone. Besides, Coutinho's ability to score brilliant goals from outside the box will be a great asset to the Blaugrana.
Substitutes:
In this kind of intense match, anything can determine the outcome. In fact, any section of the team might play the decisive role, including the bench. Therefore, Barcelona must ensure that they have great quality on the bench to serve as a backup to the first team.
Thomas Vermaelen and Nelson Semedo should be the two defenders on the reserve list. Nelson Semedo can come up for Sergi Roberto at right back if there is any need to take the Spaniard off. In case of any injury to Jordi Alba, Sergi Roberto can move to the left flank due to his versatility, while Semedo covers his place on the right. Moreover, Thomas Vermalean should be a high-quality backup to both Gerrard Pique and Samuel Umtiti.
In the middle, Paulinho should be kept as a backup option to any of the three midfielders. The Brazillian has been really impressive his season, with a lot of remarkable performances. In case there is the need for another figure, Sergi Roberto can be shifted here while Nelson Semedo takes his place at right-back.
Paco Alcacer and Ousmane Dembele should also be included on the Barcelona bench. While the former will be a backup option for Luis Suarez, the latter can play on both wings of Barca's attack. He can also be stretched out wide on the right flank in case there is the need for Barcelona to switch to the 4-4-2 formation later in the game.
