Today in the evening in the Spanish "La Liga" championship, a long-awaited, but not so high-profile "El Clasico" match will take place. At the "Camp Nou" stadium, "Barcelona" will host the visiting Madrid "Real" footballers. Both teams have three games left until the end of the championship, but the champion is already clear - "Barca". In terms of the league table, the match has little significance, but there should still be a fight - the Catalans aim not to lose the unbeaten record, while the opponents from Madrid are eager to avenge their defeat at home. The match will start at 9:45 p.m. Lithuanian time. Team Results "Barcelona" rested all week, while Zinedine Zidane's players competed intensively on Tuesday in a match against Munich "Bayern" for a place in the UEFA Champions League final. Last weekend, the Catalans rang the bell - they defeated La Coruna's "Deportivo" 4-2 after a fierce battle and secured their seventh "La Liga" championship title in the last ten years. Lionel Messi was on fire in La Coruna - the Argentine's hat-trick allowed "Barca" to secure the title. Of course, the weekend defeat could have left a huge intrigue for the "El Clasico" match, but L. Messi was not ready to move his focus to this weekend. "Real" players, besides the mentioned match with "Bayern", also played over the weekend and won 2-1 against "Leganes". In the match against Bayern, the "Whites" did not seem to be in top form, but they faced great pressure from the Germans. Karim Benzema, not Cristiano Ronaldo, led the way in the last five matches with two goals, which led to draws and qualification for the final. In total, in the last five matches, both teams have the same number of wins - three. The Catalans also played a draw and sensationally lost to the "Roma" team, while "Real" drew twice. Both teams have not been shining in defense lately, although "Barcelona" had a tough season. Now, the Catalans have conceded eight goals in their last five matches, while "Real" - six. In attack, Ernesto Valverde's players seem more aggressive at the moment - they scored 13 goals in their last four matches. Zinedine Zidane's side cannot boast such numbers - the opponents were able to score against them nine times. Team News Both teams do not have major squad problems, but only one thing remains unclear - whether Zinedine Zidane plans to rotate the lineup. It is believed that "Real" may play with a weaker lineup than usual in an "El Clasico" match. There are no losses in the ranks of "Barcelona" - all players are ready to take the field. Andres Iniesta had some health problems, but there is no doubt that the Spaniard will play as this will be his last match against "Real". The Catalans lineup should be regular - a 4-4-2 formation with Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi up front. In the ranks of "Real", not everyone can play - Dani Carvajal is recovering from an injury, and the condition of Raphael Varane and Isco is also unclear. Both trained in the last training session, but Z. Zidane will certainly not risk them. It is expected that Lucas Vazquez will play in the right-back position again, but it is also possible that Nacho will start from the beginning, and the central defender pair with Sergio Ramos will be the young Jesus Vallejo. Changes are also expected in the midfield - Toni Kroos and Casemiro are likely to form the central midfield duo, with L. Vazquez/Marco Asensio and Gareth Bale on the wings. In the attack - Karim Benzema with Cristiano Ronaldo. Predicted Starting Lineups: "Barcelona": (4-4-2) Marc-Andre ter Stegen; Sergi Roberto, Gerard Pique, Samuel Umtiti, Jordi Alba; Philippe Coutinho, Sergio Busquets, Ivan Rakitic, Andres Iniesta; Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez. "Real": (4-4-2) Keylor Navas; Nacho, Sergio Ramos, Jesus Vallejo, Marcelo; Lucas Vazquez, Casemiro, Toni Kroos, Gareth Bale; Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema. Interesting Facts This will be the 238th "El Clasico" in the history of both clubs. Madrid's "Real" has won 95 matches, and "Barca" - 93. "Barcelona" has failed to win the last three matches against "Real" at their stadium - two losses and one draw. The last time the "Camp Nou" stadium saw a victory against the visitors from the capital was in March 2015. If "Barcelona" manages to beat "Real", Ernesto Valverde will be the first coach since the 2013-14 season when the Catalans defeated their biggest rivals twice in a season. The Catalans have scored at least one goal against "Real" in the last 20 league games. In total, during that time, they have scored 46 goals. Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 11 goals at the "Camp Nou" stadium in the last 11 matches between the two teams. All goals were scored from outside the penalty area. In turn, Lionel Messi has not scored a single goal in the last four "El Clasico" matches playing at home. "Real" has received as many as 14 red cards in "El Clasico" matches since the 2009-10 season, while "Barca" has only received such punishment four times.
