Barcelona vs Real Madrid: A crucial game for the Catalans

Barcelona came to their senses a bit and achieved two straight wins. Real Madrid, on the other hand, have been fine most of the time. Now it’s important for the Catalans not to lose their winning rhythm, so it looks like we’re in for a decent challenge against Barça.

There was a feeling that Barcelona would not make it from the La Liga and league games. But first, Koeman’s side confidently defeated Valencia in the league (3-1) and then defeated Dynamo Kyiv (1-0) with a minimal scoreline. Some might say they could have swatted Dynamo with a bit more energy, but trust me, any three points are worth their weight in gold for Barcelona these days.

Barça are seventh in La Liga. But it is important to understand that they are only two points away from second place. In other words, if Barcelona beat Real Madrid, they are guaranteed to overcome them and are likely to qualify for the Champions League. So don’t overestimate the difference between Madrid and Barcelona. It’s not that big.

That said, it is important to understand that seventh place is unacceptable for Barcelona. Koeman is now in a more comfortable position, but Laporta might go nuts if he loses to Madrid, especially if it’s a big defeat. So Koeman’s fate is now in his own hands.

In reality, Real Madrid are not much better than Barça in the league. Their last La Liga game saw them lose to another Barcelona side, Espanyol. It was 5-0 against Shakhtar in the Champions League after that, but the fact remains. Real Madrid are not as good as they want to make us believe.

How will Madrid play against Barcelona at Camp Nou? It isn’t easy to say. Probably, purely in terms of squads, Real Madrid look more solid now, but home is home. It will be much easier for Barça to play, and Barça are fully motivated for this match. One thing’s for sure. It won’t be easy for Real Madrid in Catalonia.

It will probably be better to lean on Barcelona in this encounter. Yes, Los Blancos are stronger now, but they are falling under a very motivated Barcelona. Thankfully, Barça have injury problems right now and will have trivial things to counter Real Madrid. I suggest betting on a home team handicap (0) or just a win for Barcelona. Good luck to everyone!