There are some great games this week. It has been argued by many that La Liga is now a two-horse race, with only Barcelona and Real Madrid really in the running for the title. Although I don’t agree with that assessment, tomorrow’s Clásico is simply such a big game I think it takes center stage this week.
As always, it is a ‘1’ for a home win, an ‘X’ for a draw, and a ‘2’ for an away win. Last week I was 6/10 which is pretty much the best I’ve done all year. Let’s see if I can make it two good weeks in a row.
1. Racing (18th) – Athletic (7th): X
2. Mallorca (13th) – Zaragoza (18th): 2
3. Granada (17th) – Getafe (11th): 2
4. Sevilla (9th) – Levante (5th): 2
5. Sporting (19th) – Rayo (14th): 1
6. Atlético (8th) – Espanyol: (10th): 1
7. Valencia (3rd) – Betis (12th): 1
8. Osasuna (6th) – Málaga (4th): 2
9. Real Sociedad (15th) – Villarreal (16th): 1
10. Barcelona (2nd) – Real Madrid (1st): 1
El Clásico, Barcelona vs. Real Madrid, 2:00 P.M. ET, Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain.
Barcelona currently trails Real Madrid by 4 points in the league, and this is simply a must win if los cules want to have any hope of winning la liga this year, which of course Pep Guardiola still thinks is an impossibility. Both Barca and R. Madrid are coming off of losses in their Champions League matches this week (to Chelsea and Bayern Munich, respectively). Both teams need to regroup before the return leg but with this monumental match to play they are simply going to have to press on full steam ahead (although Barcelona got some good news today because Didier Drogba may miss Tuesday’s match at the Camp Nou). Here are a couple of things to watch for:
Pepe and Marcelo:
The two Real Madrid defenders, while talented players and obviously very important to the Madrid squad, cannot keep their cool when playing Barcelona. Last season Pepe was sent off in the Champions League and then stamped Messi in a later game. These two need to keep their cool in order for Madrid to have a chance.
Lionel Messi vs. Christiano Ronaldo:
These guys are playing at an astronomical level. Messi and Ronaldo are level at 41 goals apiece this season (a la Liga record) and will most likely both surpass that number greatly by the end of the season (in all competitions Messi has 63 to Ronaldo’s 57). When it comes to these type of games, however, Messi has been having the upper hand against Ronaldo.
In 15 games against Barcelona, Ronaldo only has 5 goals. Keep in mind that overall he has been averaging a goal every 81 minutes, to Messi’s 72. Since Mourinho took over at the Bernabeu, Madrid only have one victory (in the Supercup) in ten matches. Madrid, and Ronaldo, are too talented and has to be some sort of mental block that is preventing them from performing at their highest when they play Barcelona.
Christiano Ronaldo is possibly set to extend his contract with R. Madrid, which may be his way of showing that he is either (a) going to play in Spain long enough so that he might face a Barcelona team that he will possibly be able to beat or (b) a glutton for punishment. Either way, odds are that eventually the tide will change and Real Madrid will become the dominant side.
Whether or not that is going to occur tomorrow….
Check out the site to see where you can watch the game. I’m probably going to Lynch’s Irish Pub in Jacksonville Beach, see you there!
