The classic paints white

If the league match this Saturday and the trajectory of Real Madrid and Barça is indicative of what the Clásico in Riyadh of the Super Cup can bring us next week, that classic paints one color, white. The controversial but forceful 4-1 of the Madrid team together with the Barça puncture, again in the final section, in Los Cármenes, further expands the line-up of favorites with which Madrid will travel to Saudi Arabia. The reasons to smile (that devastating Benzema-Vinicius combo, the insurmountable Coutois, Modric’s lucidity …) while on the other side of the airlift all are doubts (Eric and Araújo’s injuries, the Dembélé soap opera …) but Ancelotti doesn’t quite trust it. “In theory we are favorites and then there is practice, practice is the grass, which is where we have to show it …”.

Be the mistrust of Carletto real or a trick for the public, which is true that Real Madrid and Barça are two different worlds right now.

An ocean of points on the table

With the results of this Saturday, Madrid once again distances itself by 17 points, even with two more games played. The distance in the league is astonishing and Barça took a shot in the foot in Granada in their fight for the Champions League. And it could be worse bordering on a misalignment. Xavi was crystal clear in Granada: “I’m leaving angry”. The coach, who will make his debut in Riyadh as a coach in the biggest game on the planet, did not put hot cloths: “They are our mistakes, it’s the same as in Pamplona”. In Madrid, on the other hand, happiness reigns after repairing the damage to the Coliseum. He continues to depend on himself to win the title. Calm waters before traveling to the Arabian peninsula.

The Barça infirmary, overflowing

Madrid will appear at the King Fahd stadium in almost perfect magazine condition, with only two players practically ostracized as medical casualties (Mariano and, for now, Bale) and the doubt whether Jovic is still positive. By cons, Ancelotti will add Carvajal. Eleven of white gala … and Xavi scratching his head to see how he solves his defense. Eric Garcia will miss it for sure and it remains to be seen what happens to Araújo after his hand operation. A porous fender and now broken down the center. It is also not clear if they will arrive and how several missing key players that Barça will try to add to the cause (Ansu Fati, without playing since November 2, and Pedri, positive for COVID and also stopped since September 29). You don’t even know for sure if you will be able to enroll Ferran Y In what state will you be after your coronavirus infection as soon as you land in Barcelona…

The ‘Courtois factor’ is life insurance

Although Ter Stegen is making a comeback, all the lights in the goals of the Clásico point without reference to Courtois’ form. Only 18 goals conceded in 21 games and brilliant performances like, again, against Valencia. Guedes’ 4-1 penalty stopped, but the luck for the Valencian player is that the rejection came and he was able to score. But the quality notch of the Belgian there remains. Shark He has not conceded more than one goal in a game since October 3 in Cornellà and has dragged a season leading stop records, which shows your excellent moment and what you are managing to prolong it. In the Camp Nou Classic, it was already Madrid’s safety net.

Benzema-Vinicius-Asensio … versus Luuk de Jong

Ancelotti has found a trident that works for him, with Vinicius unstoppable and Benzema scoring like never before (between them they add 36 of the 62 goals for Whites, 58 percent of the team) to which it seems that Marco Asensio joins. The two most decisive players in the League have found a partner on the right wing with the Balearic Islands. “I also like how Rodrygo is doing,” added Ancelotti yesterday. In culé code, it is almost the opposite. The MVP of the team is being a player who even stood out leaving the team in January. Luuk de Jong’s strength and his goals are working better than the subtlety of Xavi’s theoretical style. The Dutchman’s target in Mallorca and also that of Granada have been four essential points, but it was the only one. And in Riyadh he will have to play the beans against Alaba and Militao, the other duet that excels in the white ranks.

The value of experience

East Modric That seems to improve or, at least, not worsen one iota at 35 years is the absolute reverse of the new face of this Barça, in the hands of young people from La Masia not yet tested in the Classics. A youth that can lead to fatal mistakes, as happened to Gavi in ​​Los Cármenes with his red. Modric, Kroos and from behind Casemiro in the face of resistance from rookies like Nico, Jutglá, Abde and the rest of the canterana troops. In addition, Madrid have the experience (even with Koeman on the bench) of a relatively comfortable victory in the Camp Nou league classic …

‘Carletto’ has his system rolled, Xavi, no

The tactical duel offers, once again, an advantage to Madrid. While Xavi is still trying to make Barça the team he wants, with good game moments alternated with alarming weakness in the final stages (Bético Juanmi’s goal in 79 ‘, that of Chimy Ávila in 86 ‘, Puertas in 89’ …), Madrid travels at cruising speed. Since the defeat in Cornellà, Ancelotti has subscribed to 4-3-3 and from there nobody lowers it. It is giving him results, the veterans interpret the libretto that they know perfectly by heart and the youth players of Factory have disappeared, but Madrid is being reliable, with that streak of 15 games without losing only truncated in Getafe.

Xavi, on the other hand, since his recognizable 4-3-3 has been forced to cover epic triumphs such as Palma’s (“It’s gold, we are a family”) although his team fails to win two games in a row. White regularity, Barça irregularity.

The soap opera Dembélé does not help

Barça will reach the El Clásico having to deal with unfavorable external factors. Especially that its most unbalancing player, such as Ousmane Dembelé, is literally in the market. Xavi pushed for the renewal from his very presentation, but he thinks he can’t help anymore. The Frenchman can freely negotiate with one of his suitors (PSG, Bayern …), he will appear in Arabia without advancing in his future and is a volatile situation just when Barça needs illusion or, at least stability with its stars.