"Going to be a disastrous night", "Same sh** from Ancelotti" - Real Madrid fans lose their minds as key player benched for Barcelona clash 

Real Madrid fans are furious with Carlo Ancelotti after he decided against starting Aurelien Tchouameni against Barcelona in the El Clasico. The arch-rivals clash at the Camp Nou on Sunday (March 19).

Tchouameni recently recovered from a muscular injury and featured in Los Blancos' 1-0 win over Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League last 16 on Wednesday (March 15). He came on for six minutes for his 31st appearance of the season.

However, the French midfielder has failed to persuade Ancelotti to hand him a start against Barcelona. The former AS Monaco man has enjoyed a fruitful campaign at the Santiago Bernabeu. His presence in the middle of the park has been key for Ancelotti's side, and he has three assists across competitions.

Tchouameni will start on the bench at the Camp Nou, as Ancelotti has opted to field his compatriot Eduardo Camavinga in midfield alongside Luka Modric and Toni Kroos. Meanwhile, Thibaut Courtois is in goal, with Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, Antonio Rudiger and Nacho Fernandez in defence. Ancelotti has selected Federico Valverde and Vinicius Junior in attack alongside Karim Benzema.

Real Madrid's hopes of defending their La Liga crown are likely to rest on this El Clasico clash. They trail Barcelona by nine points with 13 games left. One Madrid fan is dreading how Les Merengues would perform without Tchouameni in the starting lineup:

"The same team we lost and couldn't even get a shot kn target. ... oh its going to be a disastrous night again."

Meanwhile, another fan aimed his frustrations at Ancelotti:

"Same sh** from Ancelotti."

Here's how Twitter reacted to Ancelotti snubbing Tchouameni for their encounter with Barca:

---

Barcelona legend David Villa lavishes praise on Real Madrid's Vinicius

David Villa (not in pic) impressed by Vinicius

Former Barcelona striker Villa has hailed Real Madrid attacker Vinicius as the Brazilian continues to impress at the Santiago Bernabeu. He has bagged 19 goals and ten assists in 40 games across competitions this season.

Vinicius is one of the most exciting forwards in the game, embracing a Selecao style of football and dazzling with mesmerising performances. Villa similarly likes the direct style of the Brazilian, saying (via GOAL):

“I love the direct style he has. I think football is gradually losing that type of player who plays on the wing, and who looks to take people on. There aren’t as many as there were before, and Vinicius is one of them. It’s great to watch him play and always want to take people on and go for the byline or the goal."

Vinicius could be the difference when Villa's former side Barcelona host Real Madrid at the Camp Nou. He has scored two goals in 12 games against the Blaugrana.