The second El Clasico of the season is fast approaching, and will take place this coming weekend, but can Real Madrid end their recent dismal run of form and get themselves back to the top of the division?
Preview
Real Madrid have endured a difficult run of late, and the pressure will really be on them when Barcelona visit the Bernabeu this weekend. Zinedine Zidane's side have lost their last two games in all competitions and haven't won in three.
Two of those winless games have come in La Liga, and that means that they will go into the El Clasico in second place in the league. Real had long been the league-leaders, but their drop in form has allowed Barcelona to pounce. Therefore, bookies call to take caution when placing bets. Odds are in favour of Barcelona at the moment, but it can change very soon.
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Real will go into the biggest game of their season after being defeated by Manchester City in the Champions League. Zidane's side went ahead through Isco, but they quickly surrendered the lead, and their chances of qualification as City scored two quick-fire goals in the closing stages to ensure that they take an advantage back to Manchester in a few weeks time. Zidane will be hoping that his side plays much better when Barcelona come to town.
Barcelona meanwhile couldn't be in better form. They have won their last four in the league, and also took the advantage in their Champions League tie against Napoli. Quique Seiten is making his presence felt at the Nou Camp, and they are looking like a much better side over recent weeks.
They won their last La Liga game against Eibar 5-0, with Lionel Messi scoring four. They managed to claim a 1-1 draw against Napoli in the first leg of their Champions League tie, with Antoine Griezmann scoring a late equaliser. Barcelona should finish the job back in Spain, but this fixture against Madrid will be the biggest moment in the title race.
Head To Head
Barcelona holds the narrow advantage in the overall record as they have won 96 times, while Real Madrid have won 95 times. Both sets of fans will be hoping for a more entertaining game than the one earlier in the season, as that fixture ended in a 0-0 draw.
Real Madrid Team News
Eden Hazard will be the big miss for the hosts as he has suffered another ankle injury. Meanwhile, Marco Asensio and Mariano Diaz will also be missing.
Barcelona Team News
Luis Suarez and Ousmane Dembele will be the biggest misses for Barcelona, while Sergi Roberto and Jordi Alba are also out.
La Liga Prediction
Real's recent poor run of results means it is very hard to see them winning this fixture against the free-scoring Barcelona side. Barcelona will increase their lead at the top of La Liga with a win in El Clasico.
Tip: Barcelona.