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While the Indian cricket team takes on New Zealand in their ongoing Test series, explosive batsman Rohit Sharma is all set to witness the upcoming El Clasico between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona in La Liga this weekend.
He is one of many Indian cricketers who have a soft spot for the sport. MS Dhoni has always maintained that he loves Manchester United and even played a goalkeeper in his adolescence. Indian skipper Virat Kohli, like Rohit, is also a fan of the game and he has supported Real Madrid over the years.
Rohit, who is also a La Liga brand ambassador in the country is no stranger to the beautiful game. Hitman teamed up with the Spanish league in December of last year and earlier this month was the face of La Liga's maiden campaign in India.
Rohit is currently in the Spanish capital, which will be the setting for the latest El Clasico between Real Madrid and Barcelona. This is what Rohit had to say about La Liga at the launch of their campaign earlier,
"As an athlete, I know that sports is not only about technique but also, passion, adrenaline, temperament, strategy and character."
"I believe football tests all of these attributes in an individual and whether you are playing or watching the sport, you tend to feel it running inside you."
Real Madrid and Barcelona are locked in a tense battle at the top of La Liga and this match could be a deciding factor in where the league title ends up when the season is done. Los Blancos currently trail Los Blaugranas in the standings after 25 matches. Barcelona have 55 points to their name while Madrid have 53.
Zinedine Zidane's side come into the match on the back of successive defeats in all competitions, at the hands of Levante and then Manchester City and will hope to bounce back to winning ways. Barcelona, however, will not make things easy for them. Quique Setien's side were inspired by Lionel Messi, who scored 4 goals in a 5-0 win over Eibar. They were held to a 1-1 draw away against Napoli in the UEFA Champions League
It will be interesting to see what transpires on the day as a game between these two juggernauts is never settled on paper. We, like Rohit, will wait with bated breath for kick-off between these two Spanish powerhouses. Who do you think will come out on top?
