El Clasico put off due to Catalan strife
Political turmoil may have forced next weekend’s Clasico to be postponed but Barcelona and Real Madrid cannot afford to let focus waver ahead of what could prove a pivotal period in their seasons.
The match was postponed over security concerns amid violent political demonstrations in Catalonia, the Spanish soccer federation (RFEF) said on Friday. Following huge demonstrations over the jailing of nine Catalan separatist leaders, the league’s organising body made an official request to the RFEF this week for the game to be rearranged.
The federation approved that request on Friday, adding that it was up to the two clubs to arrange a new date for the game before a deadline of October 21. Failing that, the committee would determine the new date. Barca stated they wanted the rearranged game to be played on December 18, adding that they were in favour of the game going ahead on October 26 and opposed La Liga’s proposal to move the game to the Santiago Bernabeu on the same date.
Barcelona, Madrid and Atletico are all scrapping for qualification in Europe, after Barca and Atleti took four points from their opening two games while Madrid sit bottom of Group A, desperately needing victory away at Galatasaray on Tuesday to bring them back into contention.
The international break has not been kind to coach Zinedine Zidane, who would have seen two of his key players injured if he was watching Croatia play Wales on Sunday. Luka Modric’s thigh problem is likely to keep him out of Saturday’s visit to Mallorca and his availability either for Galatasaray or Barcelona is by no means guaranteed.
Gareth Bale’s limping was put down to cramp by Wales coach Ryan Giggs but he was yet to return to training even on Thursday. If Madrid overcome Mallorca, who ended a sevengame winless run by beating Espanyol two weeks ago, they will stay top of the table and at least preserve their two-point lead over Barcelona ahead of the scheduled showdown next weekend. But Barca will be chasing a fifth consecutive victory against Eibar that would push further into the distance their own stumbling start to the season.
Their upturn has coincided with Lionel Messi’s comeback, the fit-again Argentinian scoring his first of the campaign in a 4-0 win over Sevilla last time out.
Messi’s availability also increases the pressure for places up front although Antoine Griezmann’s omission against Sevilla is likely to prove a one-off for now, given Ousmane Dembele is suspended.