Barcelona: Barcelona and Real Madrid go into Wednesdays hugely-awaited LaLiga El Clasico locked together at the top of the table after late drama in both their games last weekend.
LaLiga’s top two sides are currently tied on 35 points each, four ahead of third-placed Sevilla, with El Clasico as their game in hand.
The winner of the rearranged game at the Camp Nou this week will go to the top of the table through the winter break. The two months since the fixture was initially postponed in October has seen both Real and Barca kick into much better form following up-and-down starts to the campaign.
Both teams had stiff tests this weekend, though. Barca were in action first and found themselves involved in a thriller at Real Sociedad on Saturday. Txuri-urdin captain Mikel Oyarzabal put his side in front from the penalty spot but Barça seemed to have turned it around with goals from Antoine Griezmann and Luis Suarez before home forward Alexander Isak equalised for 2-2 late on to ensure the spoils were shared.
Sunday saw Zinedine Zidane’s side start strong at Valencia but appeared to be heading for defeat when Los Che youngster Carlos Soler scored with 12 minutes remaining.
But there was still time for Karim Benzema to hammer in an equaliser, after his team’s goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois had gone forward for a 95th minute corner, bringing a 1-1 final score.
The two sides have also been evolving together over the course of the 2019/20 season. Real Madrid have been invigorated by the emergence of youngsters Fede Valverde and Rodrygo, with the Uruguayan midfielder, 21, and Brazilian forward, 18, both potentially match-winners as they look to start El Clasico for the first time. (IANS)
