This Sunday we’ll witness another chapter in the never-ending rivalry between the two biggest clubs on the planet. Barcelona and Real Madrid lock horns in front of a sold out Santiago Bernabéu stadium as not only bragging rights get sorted, but title credentials become validated.
With only three points separating the two giants, this El Clásico will have monumental implications on the title race.
In the 233rd annual El Clásico, Cristiano Ronaldo and his merry men will seek to prematurely put one hand on the La Liga trophy. Real are in scintillating form this season, they’re unbeaten in their last two El Clásicos and have only lost two games all campaign.
Also read: La Liga 2016/17: 5 things Barcelona need to do to win El Clasico against Real Madrid
For Lionel Messi’s men, they’re coming off the receiving end of a convincing 3-0 aggregate defeat to Juventus. The league title is the only thing that could salvage Luis Enrique’s last season at the Nou Camp. Either way, this match will not only have Spain, but the entire world watching.
Here are 5 things Real Madrid need to do to win the El Clásico.
#5 Toni Kroos should track Jordi Alba
With the world’s most dangerous player, Neymar, suspended for the El Clásico, attacking duties down the left flank will be afforded to Jordi Alba. As one of the most attacking full-backs in footballing history, the Spaniard will be more than happy to fulfil such duties. In order to sustain width, the Spanish LB must continually run up and down the left side regardless of Gareth Bale’s positioning.
As the widest of the midfield three, it should be Toni Kroos’ responsibility to ensure the Spaniard doesn’t cause havoc out wide. Kroos needs to track Alba’s runs as well as cut off passing lanes in the middle for him to feed. If Kroos can limit the effectiveness of the 28-year-old, the whole left side of Barcelona’s attack would be deemed void.
#4 Aggressively press Sergio Busquets
As the unsung hero for Barcelona in recent years, Sergio Busquets is literally the heart and soul of the Catalans’ build-up play. The holding midfielder is always one step ahead of his teammates in both thought and movement; he directs the flow of the play for his teammates to follow. He’s the one that shifts opposing teams from side to side to create space for the attacking players ahead of him.
Nowadays we usually see Lionel Messi operate from a deeper role in midfield behind Luis Suárez and Neymar. It’s often Busquets who initially finds the Argentinean in space thus allowing him to drive at opposing defenders. If Luka Modric and Toni Kroos can press Busquets into making passes to the flanks instead, that’s half of Barcelona’s attacking threat gone already.
#3 Push the defensive line high
Many say that Barcelona’s attack can excel in all conditions, they’re effective in both tight spaces and open, wide pitches. Most teams who play the Catalans try to drop deep and hit them on the counter-attack. Every team that tries this seems to get undone because the attacking trio of MSN can play one-twos in tight spaces, it’s what they thrive on. For Real to stand victorious in the 233rd El Clásico, they must buck the trend of dropping deep.
Zinedine Zidane must instruct his defensive line to stay high up the pitch, which thus forces the whole team to stay in Barcelona’s half both in possession and defence. Real Madrid should be intense in their press of Barcelona all over the pitch, forcing them into mistakes in their own half. This would, therefore, disrupt their build-up play, allowing minimal service to reach the frontline.
#2 Target Sergi Roberto
It’s no locker room secret that the weakest link in Barcelona’s armour is their makeshift right-back, Sergi Roberto. The Spanish midfielder has been forced to play out of position for the whole season due to Barca’s unsavoury handling of the Dani Alves contract situation. Some say the 25-year-old has grown into the role, others believe he’s never fully embraced it. Either way, the Real attackers will be licking their lips at the prospect of facing him.
Zinedine Zidane should instruct his players to attack down the left flank in pairs and seeing as none of MSN – M and S in this case – will be tracking back, Roberto will be left alone. Real Madrid this season have focused much of their attacking play through the flanks, so it wouldn’t be anything extraordinary to constantly overload Roberto’s zone of the pitch.
#1 Don’t let Messi roam
The general consensus for average teams playing against Barcelona is to sit back in two lines of four and suffocate space for Barca’s attack to play in. However, Real Madrid aren’t an average team and they can achieve positive results with more daring tactics. Zinedine Zidane possesses a lethal asset in Casemiro, a player that can go toe to toe with any attacking player on the planet.
The Frenchman MUST instruct Casemiro to stay with Lionel Messi throughout the 90 minutes on Sunday. The same way Ander Herrera completely nullified the majestic Eden Hazard last weekend, Casemiro has the same tenacity to pocket Messi.
If the little magician can be marked out of the game, service to Luis Suárez will be nullified, rendering all of Barca’s attack futile. With Neymar already suspended, there’ll be no one else to take the game by the scruff of the neck from deep, thus handing a simple victory to Real Madrid.
