Real Madrid are riding high after a 3-1 win over Liverpool in the Champions League. It was a game Los Blancos thoroughly owned on both ends of the pitch. But Real will face an even tougher challenge at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano against a Barcelona side that is finally clicking. This second Clasico of the season could decide the title.
Last year, the second Clasico of the campaign did decide the title. Real Madrid won 2-0 in a dominant performance, and they went on an undefeated run after the COVID-19 “break” period to secure a 34th league title.
Will history repeat itself? Well, if Real Madrid are to win on Saturday night and sweep El Clasico this season, they’ll need to focus on these three Barcelona standouts. (Lionel Messi has been excluded, because obviously Real must watch out for one of the best players ever!)
FW Ousmane Dembele
We begin with 23-year-old winger Ousmane Dembele, whom MARCA expects to start on the right side of the three-man attack this weekend. In the past, Dembele’s injury issues prevented him from threatening Real Madrid in Clasicos, but he’s been pretty healthy this season and in great form recently.
The French international has scored in back-to-back league contests, including the late winner in a 1-0 win over Real Valladolid on Matchday 29. Per WhoScored.com, Dembele won six dribbles and recorded two key passes.
If Dembele starts on the right, Real Madrid could contain him thanks to star left back Ferland Mendy, who is arguably the best in the world defensively. But Dembele vs. Lucas Vazquez could be a disaster. If Yannick Carrasco had him on strings in El Derbi, then we can only imagine what Dembele, who is one of the most agile and skilled wingers on the planet, is capable of doing.
Dembele’s only real weakness is finishing. As far as dribbling skills and chance-creation go, he’s world-class. He could be an X-Factor on the road to Barcelona’s revenge, so Real need to have a good plan against him.
CM Pedri
The youngest goal-scorer in Las Palmas’ history, Pedri has only increased his reputation at Barcelona. He is one of the most promising midfield players in the world and is having a solid season for La Blaugrana. Pedri has two goals and three assists. He also has 1.2 key passes per game, tackles per game, and fouls drawn per game.
Like Dembele, Pedri can be an X-Factor for Barcelona. He is capable of breaking apart defenses with quick touches and flicks to his teammates, and he’s not easy to stop on the ball. Pedri is still developing, but the 18-year-old could be a frustrating player even for Real Madrid’s midfield, including Casemiro, to deal with.
LB Jordi Alba
There’s no better word to describe Jordi Alba than “pest”. The veteran left back has been a constant annoyance to Madridistas, and he always seems to get away with his tricks in El Clasico. Alba loves to get under the skin of Madrid players, take cheap shots, and draw fouls. He’s the kind of player you can’t help but hate if he’s on the other side of the pitch in a rivalry match, because he will stop at nothing to win.
As much as Madridistas dislike Alba and call him a “rat”, the 32-year-old is having a great season for La Blaugrana in 2020-2021 after a down year in 2019-2020 that was filled with injuries.
Alba has three goals and four assists this season, and he was brilliant in Barcelona’s 6-1 demolition of Real Sociedad before the international break. In fact, Alba has been in tremendous form over the past several weeks, including a big game defensively in a 2-0 win over Sevilla with three tackle and four interceptions.
An experienced Clasico standout, Alba’s trademark runs will cause issues for Vazquez if he starts and Dani Carvajal still isn’t ready. (We still have to find out more about Carvajal’s status, but he is practicing with the team again.) Further, Marco Asensio is in great form with four goals in the last four games, so the battle between Alba and Asensio will be an interesting one to track for fans of both La Liga powerhouses.