Barcelona, Real seek momentum before El Clasico
TV TIMINGS
Real Madrid and Barcelona cannot avoid heading into next week’s Clasico under pressure but each have two games to lift the mood at least, ahead of the pivotal clash at the Camp Nou.
Eight games into La Liga and both Julen Lopetegui and Ernesto Valverde are feeling the heat, forced to defend poor runs that have seen their teams manage a combined total of two wins from their last 10 games.
Madrid’s slump feels the more entrenched, given they are without a goal in 360 minutes, discounting injury time, and three of their last four matches have ended in defeat.
While Barca can point to their riveting win at Wembley over Tottenham, and then a point gained in Valencia, Madrid have endured successive setbacks away to CSKA Moscow and Alaves.
A win, and some goals, would earn Lopetegui much-needed breathing space. He is already being asked about his future in the same job he sacrificed Spain and the World Cup for in June.
“A coach does not think about this, we are in October,” Lopetegui said after Alaves’ first league win at home to Real Madrid since 1931. “The only positive is we are close to the top of the league, the most important thing now is to recover the injured players and then calmness will come by winning games and scoring goals.”
Karim Benzema is struggling
MADRID:
Villarreal v Atletico Madrid, live on Sony Ten 1 & HD, 10:00pm
Barcelona v Sevilla, live on Sony Ten 2 & HD; 12:15am (Sunday)
Also playing: Real Madrid v Levante, Valencia v Leganes with a hamstring strain but the forward might anyway be less missed. Seven games without a goal have seen calls grow louder for Mariano Diaz’s inclusion.
Lopetegui is also right to draw comfort from the table, as Barcelona’s stumbles mean his team are only two points off the top, where Sevilla are the surprise front-runners.
Barca face Sevilla on Saturday night in an unexpected duel of first and second, where the onus will be on Valverde’s men to make a statement. Sevilla have won four league games on the bounce and, in one of those, thumped Real Madrid 3-0.
They also continue a run of blockbuster ties for Barca, which has already included Spurs and Valencia, and will stretch deep into November. After Sevilla, they play at home to Inter Milan on Wednesday and Real Madrid on Sunday. At the start of next month, they face Inter again in Italy, Atletico and Real Betis.
A win this weekend and Barcelona might feel a corner has been turned.