Real Madrid avoided facing FC Barcelona in the Spanish Supercup last week, but they will have to start the month of March with a pivotal fixture against La Blaugrana.
After drawing 0-0 at the Camp Nou in December, Real Madrid and FC Barcelona remain at a deadlock atop the league table. While Barcelona remain in first place on the strength of a +2 advantage in goal differential, both sides are even on points with 40, which is a handful more than Supercup runner-ups Atletico Madrid.
The Clasico in the second half of the 2019-2020 season could very well decide the title, since Los Blancos and La Blaugrana have been so even this season. When one side drops points, the other does, too. When one side produces a big win, so does the other.
On Mar. 1 at 21:00 CET (3:00 p.m. ET), Real Madrid and FC Barcelona will face off at the Santiago Bernabeu for the second Clasico of the season. Eden Hazard will likely be back in the lineup by then, so Real will be at full strength with their best player back in the fold. Meanwhile, Barca striker Luis Suarez will be out, but that could make Barca faster and more dangerous for Real to defend.
A lot can change between now and Mar. 1, but there’s no doubt that the second Clasico will feel like a higher-stakes matchup than the first with even less time left in the season. After Real outplayed Barca in December but failed to score, it will be interesting to see how their offensive output increases and how their tactics change with the excellent Hazard back in the lineup.
Clasicos are always special, can’t-miss matches that bring the football world together for two hours of greatness, and based on the story of the 2019-2020 La Liga campaign thus far, it’s safe to say the upcoming rivalry matchup between the powerhouses of Spanish football will provide some major takeaways.