If there is any chance of Real Madrid winning La Liga, now is the time to step up and get it going. Let’s take a look at three keys Madrid possess that can unlock Barcelona.
It’s a battle of the two largest teams in Europe if not the entire planet. Real Madrid versus Barcelona, better known as El Clasico. The match breaks records in terms of global viewership and both teams possessing a ludicrous following, making it one of the most coveted sporting events.
Every Clasico is more important than the last, for multiple reasons, circumstances that affect everyone from the players to the fans. The result of the match will hand pride, respect, and honor to the winners of the fixture. More often than not, the only thing that matters more than the bragging rights is the three points awarded to the better side.
Currently, Real Madrid is sitting in fourth place with 11 points from this weekends rivals Barcelona. La Blaugrana, on the other hand, is in first place with an authoritative lead over Madrid. Pulling off a win in the final game of 2017 can bring Real just 8 points behind Barcelona. Real will still be a game in hand due to their presence in the Club World Cup last week in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
It could be considered overzealous to say Madrid have the keys to victory, as Barcelona seem to be in fine form both in La Liga and the Champions league. But here are three reasons why Real Madrid can steal the three points and be on the road to victory.
1. Depth
Last years success came about due to a great wealth of depth by those on the bench. This year’s personnel may be different, but the story still stays the same. Manager Zinedine Zidane had shared with us the 19-man squad that will be heading through the tunnel at the Bernabeu tomorrow. The usual names are there of course, but it is those who may not be in the starting XI that separates Madrid from Barcelona.
Madrid boasts plenty of talent on the bench for Zidane to make use of to ensure the success of Los Blanco’s on Matchday 17. As The Real Champs’ Alex McVey points out, Madrid’s squad depth could give Madrid a huge boost against Barcelona. From defense to attack there are numerous options for Zidane in case of injury, needing a goal or trying to close out the match.
With so many options and substitutes, this ability to change the formation and therefore the attack further demonstrate why Madrid can gain an edge over Barcelona tomorrow. Changing the dynamic of the squad through the use of a substitution is something that Barcelona cannot do easily as they are a more centrally attack-minded team.
For instance, if Isco was to start the match tomorrow and not successful in his role, Zidane could replace him with Gareth Bale, Lucas Vasquez or even Mateo Kovacic. Substitution change will, of course, depend on what formation would combat Barcelona’s defense and attack. Having three great players each possessing their own arsenal of tricks and skills has the ability to cause havoc for Barcelona.