Barca player to watch: Andres Iniesta. While Messi, Xavi and Fabregas have been down in the dumps recently, Iniesta has been the one bright spot for Barcelona, and had looked on course for the best season of his career. He was surprisingly strong when calling for changes to be made on Wednesday, and put down a challenge to Vilanova and Roura to start him in his favoured attacking central midfield position.

Madrid player to watch: Mesut Ozil. While Ronaldo, and to a lesser extent Di Maria, were getting the plaudits after Tuesday night’s Copa win, the contribution of Ozil was generally overlooked. The German, as usual against Barca, had a superb game, working back to help his team get the ball from Barca, and then quickly moving it forward with intelligence. With Di Maria out, and maybe Alonso too, Ozil will have an even more important role than usual in playing the ball forward early and accurately to Ronaldo and Gonzalo Higuain.

Key battle: Cristiano Ronaldo v Lionel Messi. While their paths do not often cross on the pitch, most Clasicos now inevitably boil down to whether Ronaldo or Messi has the greater influence. And just over 12 months there was usually no competition, with Messi in full control and the Bernabeu taking to booing Ronaldo for being a big game bottler. By last September’s first La Liga meeting of 2012-13 their individual battle had evened up, as both talismen scored twice in the 2-2 at the Camp Nou. Since then Ronaldo has taken control, as shown by his double on Tuesday. They have now come head to head in 18 Clasicos, and Ronaldo has overcome his slow start to have now scored more goals across those games [12 to 11].

Trivia: Barcelona have only played their supposed best team [the Gala XI] on six occasions this season [allowing for Jose Pinto as their Copa keeper]. These have brought just two wins [4-0 at home to Espanyol and 4-0 at Levante], one draw [1-1 in Copa at Madrid] and three defeats [3-2 at Real Sociedad, 2-0 at Milan and Tuesday’s 3-1 to Madrid].

Stats: Barcelona have now conceded in 12 consecutive matches in all competitions. They have let in 19 goals during that run, or 1.58 per game. Their last clean sheet came on January 10 against Cordoba in the Copa del Rey.

Up madrid again!!!

If u want barcelona to win like this post!!

If u want madriid to win like this post!!

Madrid wil win for sure, up ronaldo

barca wil win d match

Can't wait...

Xavi will be missed in 2days match..bt Barca win..la liga is ours *Dancin K9 KØKØMA*

I hope Barcelona wins. they av disappointed me in recent tym but I blv they will bounce bak.
up barca

#teamREALMADRID
#teamCR7

Up madrid......Ronaldo all d way.

UP REALMADRID.. Barca sucks... (Arsenal fan)

I hope when Barca wins this match today madrid fans wouldnt say cos they re not having their full squad. with Alonzo and Di maria out

I hope Real Madrid win, check out my signature to recieve the dstv software to ur mail

barcelona all the way

Barca reign is coming 2 an end small small....UP MADRID

Barcelona all the way fu+k madrid

we lose d last game yess we did ..daz wt makz us d best cus we fall we rise we conqour we crush viva viva Barcelona messi is my guy#aboki

This is LA LIGA

Barca will not mess up.

Expect messi(magician) to disapear as usual.....and expect to see iniesta and Ronaldo......cause Elclassico is nw between iniesta and Ronaldo as messi should never be compared to CR7,messi is a Flop while CR7 is far on top....VIVI Madrid...

*Hala Madrid*

three points in d bag, this is the beginnin of our walk to redemption.. We'll trim Barca's lead to 13pts,and 5 more teams wil stil beat them before d end of d season.
*Hala Madrid*

i 4c more woes on barca.......i think messi should be loaned to QPR so he can wake up to meet d recent barca challenges........lol

Well its a shame,barca has not be playing up 2 expectations,that's d beauty of the game anyway,the ups and down,but I still believe in barca n most especially messi.we are 2 quick 2 condemning,d reason y cr7 is gettn all dis hype,is cuz u all want barca n messi's downfall and dt aint happening,dt una prayer don fail,shiit happens n its all for a while..UP Barca de rock..

I dnt care bout dis game, even if we loose 10.0, d important el classico was on tuesday, dis is a mere formality. We r don wit barca. Man u is r focus 4 nw. Barca is in r trash can nw, man u nxt

B_B013: I hope when Barca wins this match today madrid fans wouldnt say cos they re not having their full squad. with Alonzo and Di maria out

ofcourse na, we wont be having our full squad and barca would come out strongly because d fact is barca will want to stress madrid players. not worth it especially wen the league has already been won by u guys (barca). nevertheless i know mourinho wont throw d game away.

lycro: I hope Real Madrid win, check out my signature to recieve the dstv software to ur mail

Pls do not download/install the exe files into ur systems or fones. It'll in-turn be used to control and spy on ur files. They are all dirty phishers...

does madrid need this match? D big game is against man u @ old trafford. An el-classico on saturday afternoon? No match

I'm seriously surprised at some comments. 38 liga goals in 25 matches as compared to 24 in 25. Yet people won't shut up and let facts speak. 16points diff and people still open them mouth! Even slowpoke-hio hardly speak dis days....

It has become increasingly difficult to predict these two teams encounters. I have seen here 15Likes for Barca and 29 Likes for Real Madrid. Unlike before now, Barca would have gotten 1000likes to 15likes for RM.

Halal Madrid

Any link for live streaming of this match pls. I need urgently

Why would any sane person ever think dat Ronaldo is better than Messi?Just cos he scored two goals in the last El-Classico n Messi scored nothing?...SMH
#A Milan fan#