One last El Clasico before the season ends, and this time the result will likely decide the title, which Barcelona have had within their grasp for months now.
The gap between the Blaugrana and Los Blancos stands at a full 11 points with four rounds remaining. If Barcelona win, it’s all over. If the match ends in a draw, it’s all over.
That should be motivation enough for Barcelona, who could also achieve something incredible: winning every home game in La Liga this season. So far, they have 17 wins in 17 matches.
And if Real Madrid’s form weren’t enough of a problem, there are massive scandals at the club that will certainly affect their play on the field.
Another managerial change is expected, the team’s fans are filling out surveys in support of selling the team’s star, Kylian Mbappe, and Federico Valverde will miss the rest of the season with a head injury after Aurelien Tchouameni punched him.
So Barcelona can nail down Real Madrid's already disappointing season without a single trophy if they beat them again on Sunday.
How the bookies view it: The Blaugrana to confirm their championship
Barcelona’s pre-match advantage is huge, with bookmakers considering a win for the visitors to be almost impossible compared to the previous head-to-heads.
Currently, you can back Barcelona at 13/20, while Real Madrid are available at 33/10. The draw is priced at 4/1.
Recent head-to-head: Barcelona have dominated lately
El Clasico never disappoints, and fans can always expect a goal fiesta, regardless of the form of the two teams. But right now, Barcelona are the team expected to dominate, having won five of the last six H2Hs.
This will be the third match between them this season, after Los Blancos won the reverse fixture in La Liga 2-1, and Barcelona won the Super Cup match 3-2.
Players to watch: Lewandowski or Torres, or both
Recent injuries and club scandals have left Alvaro Arbeloa with a long list of sidelined players. If Real Madrid plan to score, they will have to rely on Vinicius Jr., as the 25-year-old has scored each of Los Blancos’ last four goals. Without him, the title race would have been over weeks ago.
On the other end, Barcelona will be without Lamine Yamal, but we could see the return of Raphinha, who hasn’t played since March.
We plan to back either Ferran Torres or Robert Lewandowski to score on Sunday. The 26-year-old has four goals in his last four appearances. However, we expect Lewandowski to start, so he is probably the safer pre-match option.
Backed a player to find the net? Check our Goalscorer Betting guide to see how the markets work and where to find value.
Probable line-ups
Barcelona: Garcia, Cancelo, Martin, Cubarsi, Kounde, Pedri, Garcia, Lopez, Gavi, Rashford, Lewandowski
Real Madrid: Courtois, Garcia, Rudiger, Huijsen, Alexander-Arnold, Diaz, Camavinga, Bellingham, Pitarch, Garcia, Vinicius Jr.
Anything else catch the eye?
As previously mentioned, we can always expect goals when these giants meet. The last 10 H2Hs featured at least three goals at full time, while eight also saw both teams score. And in the last five H2Hs, four featured a minimum of five goals.
Considering that Barcelona can win the title on Sunday, we will back them to score at least twice and win again. Of course, anything is possible between these fierce rivals, but right now, it would be extraordinary if Los Blancos go home with even a point.
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