The Real Champs
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FC Barcelona vs. Real Madrid: El Clásico preview

By Sunil Gurubhagwatla

merchandise outside Estadio Santiago Bernabeu. Shirt of Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid next to shirt of Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona during the UEFA Champions League semi final match between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium on May 01, 2018 in Madrid, Spain(Photo by VI Images via Getty Images)
merchandise outside Estadio Santiago Bernabeu. Shirt of Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid next to shirt of Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona during the UEFA Champions League semi final match between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium on May 01, 2018 in Madrid, Spain(Photo by VI Images via Getty Images) /
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MADRID, SPAIN – MAY 05: Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid warms up during a training session at Valdebebas training ground on May 5, 2018 in Madrid, . (Photo by Pedro Castillo/Real Madrid via Getty Images)
MADRID, SPAIN – MAY 05: Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid warms up during a training session at Valdebebas training ground on May 5, 2018 in Madrid, . (Photo by Pedro Castillo/Real Madrid via Getty Images) /

Real Madrid team news

Injury News

Coming into this game, Real Madrid has a few injury concerns. Dani Carvajal is still on the sidelines after sustaining a hamstring injury against Bayern Munich in the first-leg of the UCL semifinal.

Also, Isco (sprained shoulder) and Raphael Varane (calf niggle) could be doubtfuls, however, they trained with the squad Saturday. The rest of the team is healthy and should be available for selection.

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Playing XI & Tactics

Many reports have been suggesting that Zidane could rest a host of first team players with an eye on Champions League Final. However, it seems unlikely as it is a Clásico after all.

Zizou has lost to Barcelona twice in La Liga, having drawn once and the only win coming back in the 2015/16 season. The last time Real Madrid lost three consecutive games was against Pep’s Barcelona. For all that Zidane has won with Real Madrid, three consecutive losses against Barca would not bode well.

Expect Zidane to field a strong XI on Sunday.

Carvajal is a confirmed absentee and Nacho should deputize for him. Varane’s situation is still unclear and is remains to be seen if he is ready for this one, if not, Jesús Vallejo could play his first ever Clásico.

The same is the story with Isco, whose availability could still be considered a doubt. It will also be interesting to see if Mateo Kovačić gets a start. Kovacic has featured regularly against Barcelona, however, in the Bernabéu earlier this season, Barcelona exploited the system with Mateo man-marking Messi for much of the contest.

Zidane has been able to deliver favorable results at Camp Nou in his short time as manager. On both the previous occasions, he has played a compact structure and has tried to hit Barca on the counter.

Real Madrid should be looking to play in a similar fashion. However, it is Zidane and one cannot be certain as to what he is planning to do.

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