Few soccer matches are as anticipated, exciting and fulfilling as the bi-annual League matchup between Barcelona and Real Madrid. Know as "El Clasico" or "El Derbi" (The Classic or The Derby), the match brings together two teams so impressively powerful that it seems like a "Big Bang" of Spanish soccer. The result shapes the course of the Liga to come and will live on in the memory of each side's supporters for years to come.
Few games live up to their billing as successfully as this one. Each side is easily one of the football world's ten best clubs. They could be, arguably, among the world's ten best clubs - of any sport. No soccer team has spent more money signing players in the last two years (and probably in the last ten) than Real Madrid. Barcelona matches the Madridista bank account with unrivaled teamwork, effort and player development. Real Madrid is renowned for their ability to score quickly and fight doggedly to the last minute when injuries, game flow or fortune prevent them from scoring quickly. Barcelona is known around the world for their artistic pursuit of total football: pretty passing that makes its players interchangeable (to an extent) and completely disarms its opponents. Where Madrid players and coaches regularly proclaim their own grandeur, Barcelona players and coaches are humble and hardworking. The two sides mix like oil and water.
This year, unfortunately, El Clasico takes place on November 29th - a Monday. The non weekend date makes it harder for local fans from the burb, exurbs and the country to get to Camp Nou for the game. It also makes it more difficult for viewers in this hemisphere to watch the game because it takes place at 3PM Eastern/12 PM Pacific.While it's not like shops will close and streets will be empty in downtown Peoria, Lincoln or Houston; there are a lot of fans in the United States, Canada and Latin America who won't be able to watch the game live.
If you do want to follow the game live, you can visit ESPN Deportes or on ESPN 3 (formerly ESPN 360).
Despite the lame scheduling, I'm excited about the game. Both Madrid and Barcelona are off to their best starts, points wise, in years.
This is the best Real Madrid team since some of the teams of the early 90s: it has the world's best goalkeeper, an incredibly solid defense, a tough, perceptive midfield and some of the fastest, most-accurate forwards in the world. Its signature star, Christiano Ronaldo, is off to an incredible start with 14 league goals in 12 games - a sparkling goal-per-game ratio that doesn't look to end anytime soon.
Barcelona is just as impressive! The team that won 6 trophies 2 years ago, set a record for most points in the league last year. They're on pace to break that record this year. Fresh off an 8-0 humiliation of (previously tough-defending) Almeria, the Blaugrana look to have armed their offensive trident. Messi, Villa and Pedro create walls and openings for each other better than any other forwards in the world. Behind the vision and tenacity of players like Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets and Mascherano gets the ball back and opens up the field to the forward's creativity. This Barcelona has the potential to be the best of the last three years!
It's hard to say how a game will turn out but I'll go out on a limb to predict a 3-2 Barcelona victory. I think Real is better than the Inter team that suffocated Barca's 2010 Champion's League dreams but still not good enough to stop Messi and co.
Until the game, enjoy these videos of past matchups.
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