Today in the evening, the highly anticipated "El Clasico" match between Madrid's "Real" and Barcelona clubs will take place in the Spanish "La Liga" championship, attracting the attention of football fans from all over the world. This will be the second meeting of these clubs this season. "Real Madrid" - "Barcelona" Tournament: "La Liga" (33rd round) Stadium: "Santiago Bernabeu" (Madrid) Referee: Alejandro Hernandez Date and time: April 23, 2017, 9:45 PM This is a match that could determine the champions' title in La Liga. In the event of a victory for Madrid's "Real," it would almost certainly mean that the "Whites" would reclaim the title after a long break. However, if the visitors from Catalonia win, the intrigue in Spain for the top position will reach its peak. Sporting Form Both teams had crucial second leg matches in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals midweek. However, only one of them had a successful quarterfinal - "Barcelona" was unable to resist the Turin "Juventus" team, while Madrid's "Real" crossed the "Bayern Munich" barrier. Zinedine Zidane's team fought for a place in the semifinals against "Bayern" on Tuesday evening. After a match full of controversy and discussions about the referee's decisions, "Real" triumphed 4-2 in an extra time, with their leader Cristiano Ronaldo scoring three goals. Meanwhile, "Barcelona" faced "Juventus" on Wednesday, where they failed to break the solid Italian defense. In the first leg in Turin, "Barca" lost 0-3, leading to their elimination from the tournament. In the La Liga standings in Spain, it is clear that only "Real" and "Barca" are competing for the title. The latter is three points behind the "Whites," so a victory to continue the fight for the title is crucial. However, a defeat for Z. Zidane's team would not be a complete tragedy - they have played one game less than their closest rivals. Last five "Real" matches: "Real Madrid" 4 - 2 "Bayern" (Champions League) "Gijon" 2 - 3 "Real Madrid" (La Liga) Bayern 1 - 2 "Real Madrid" (Champions League) "Real Madrid" 1 - 1 "Atletico" (La Liga) "Leganes" 2 - 4 "Real Madrid" (La Liga) Last five "Barcelona" matches: "Barcelona" 0 - 0" Juventus" (Champions League) "Barcelona" 3 - 2 "Real Sociedad" (La Liga) "Juventus" 3 - 0 "Barcelona" (Champions League) "Malaga" 2 - 0 "Barcelona" (La Liga) "Barcelona" 3 - 0 "Sevilla" (La Liga) Team News Madrid's "Real" received good news ahead of the upcoming "El Clasico" clash - Z. Zidane confirmed in a press conference that Gareth Bale is fit to play, although he did not reveal if he will be in the starting lineup. However, "Real" still has defensive issues as Raphael Varane and Pepe have not fully recovered yet. On the other hand, "Barcelona" lost one of their key players not due to injury but because of a suspension. Neymar, who showed his dissatisfaction with the referee's performance, had to miss the last round's match, and he will also be unavailable for the crucial "El Clasico" match. Due to injuries, Barcelona will also be without Jeremy Mathieu, Rafinha, and Aleix Vidal. Predicted starting lineups: "Real Madrid": Keylor Navas; Dani Carvajal, Nacho, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo; Isco, Luka Modric, Casemiro, Toni Kroos; Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema. "Barcelona": Marc-Andre ter Stegen; Sergi Roberto, Gerard Pique, Samuel Umtiti, Jordi Alba; Ivan Rakitic, Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta; Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi, Paco Alcacer. Interesting Facts The last "El Clasico" this season ended in a dramatic draw. Sergio Ramos' goal in the 90th minute secured the draw at the "Camp Nou" stadium. Barcelona's leader Lionel Messi has failed to score against Madrid's "Real" defense in the last six consecutive matches. Barcelona has never experienced more defeats than against Real in the Spanish league - 72 times. Real has also never defeated any other team more times than Barcelona - 68 times. Real Madrid has lost twice in the last 5 "El Clasico" matches at the "Santiago Bernabeu" stadium - with three wins and one draw. However, the last match at home against Rafa Benitez's team was a painful 0-4 defeat. Real Madrid has scored at least one goal in the last 43 consecutive league matches - only Barcelona achieved a longer scoring streak in 2013 (64). Barcelona players have scored against Real Madrid in 22 consecutive matches - the best streak ever recorded in the history of "El Clasico." In the last five "El Clasico" matches, the teams have two wins each and one draw between them. Only Lionel Messi (21) and Alfredo Di Stefano (18) have scored more goals than Cristiano Ronaldo in "El Clasico" history - 16.
