Real Madrid vs Barcelona Takes Center Stage this Weekend

19th November 2015

Two of the biggest sides in world football are gearing up to square off this Saturday in the 171st edition of El Clasico. It is one of the most watched events not just in football, but in sports in general with around 400-500 million in viewership numbers around the globe, according to the BBC. This means that even if you don’t follow football on a regular basis, you’re likely to catch a glimpse of someone nearby shouting and screaming of a missed chance at goal during the Real Madrid vs Barcelona match.

Real Madrid will have to field replacements if injured stars don’t play.

The Catalan giants are currently leading the Spanish table with twenty-seven points; three ahead of their fierce rivals. Los Blancos have suffered some setbacks in recent times, with a number of high profile players being injured: Benzema, Rodriguez and Bale. The French striker has not been officially cleared to play, although that may still change in time for the game on Saturday. Real Madrid will definitely need him if they are to make an impact on their home soil.

It is also interesting to note that Ronaldo performs much better when Benzema is on the field. Although the Portuguese has scored on 13 occasions from 15 appearances this season, his stats have somewhat suffered during Benzema’s absence, which might jeopardize his performances in the upcoming Real Madrid vs Barcelona encounter. Rafael Benitez will have to find an effective solution to beat their arch rivals after suffering a 2:3 loss in their last game against Sevilla away. The prospect of losing successive defeats to big opposing sides will not bode well with the Madrid hierarchy…

Doubts linger whether Messi will be ready to feature in El Clasico.

Ahead of the game, The Guardian reports that Luis Suarez was full of praise for his fellow teammates, especially their star main Messi, however doubts remain whether he will feature in the Real Madrid vs Barcelona game due to his injury. “Whether he plays or not is down to the coach, the medics and how he feels but he has been looking sharp in training. However, it is the type of injury where there are risks for the future.”

Suarez also stressed just how important of a role the Argentine plays in the Barcelona side. “Messi is a player that makes a difference in all games and in clasicos he has always made a big impact but we will have to see if he is ready. Leo is above any other player due to what he has achieved and what he is still doing.”

Since Messi’s injury, Suarez and Neymar have formed a fearsome partnership in front of goal, exchanging goals every game almost at whim. The Uruguay international also had some words of praise for the Brazilian talent, “Ney is amazing, behind Messi and could easily be the second best in the world. At the moment he is playing incredibly and it is great to see.”

Brawls are quite common during El Clasicos.

If Barcelona manage to seal a victory in Madrid, that would put them six points ahead of their rivals, and would lead them one step closer to defending their league title. The Catalans are enjoying a good run at the moment; they clinched four straight wins and haven’t lost a game since the 2:1 defeat to Sevilla in early October. Los Blancos recorded three wons before the Sevilla defeat in the last game.

Considering that the game is being held in the capital, Bet365 Sport favors the hosts 2.50 (6/4), while Barcelona are underdogs for the match 2.75 (7/4). However, the odds don’t always represent the realistic chances, and especially in the case of a Real Madrid vs Barcelona game, anything can really happen.

Since the result can go either way in this match, perhaps you might want to consider placing wagers on the goalscorers market. Ronaldo’s odds for scoring at anytime are 1.72 (8/11), while on the other hand if Messi gets cleared to play, then his chances to find the back of the net are 1.95 (20/21). These two are not the only proficient goalscorers, as either Neymar 2.10 (11/10), Luis Suarez 2.25 (5/4), Benzema 2.40 (7/5), Bale 3.00 (2/1) or even James Rodrigues 3.00 (2/1) might also put their names on the scorer sheet, if they are cleared to play of course…

The Real Madrid vs Barcelona will take place this Saturday, so don’t miss the chance to bet and watch it considering it doesn’t come around very often. And who knows, if you play your bets right with Bet365 Sport, Christmas might just come early for you…

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