The 243rd edition of the "Clasico" derby will take place on Wednesday, when LaLiga leaders Barcelona take on second-placed Real Madrid at Camp Nou. Last season Barcelona defeated Real Madrid in both league matches, 5-1 at Camp Nou and 1-0 in Madrid, and they also prevailed in the Copa del Rey with a 1-1 draw at home and a 3-0 victory away. Overall, Barcelona have won the derby 96 times, while Real Madrid have collected 95 victories.
Barcelona are currently leading the table in LaLiga but they are tied on 35 points with Real Madrid and just four points clear of third-placed Sevilla. The Blaugrana would surely be very happy with a win in this match, it's a result that would give them a bit of tranquility and confidence ahead of the second part of the season. Last week they were unable to get more than a 2-2 draw at Real Sociedad, interrupting a string of seven consecutive wins in all competitions. Ousmane Dembele and Arthur are the only injury concerns for head coach Ernesto Valverde ahead of this match.
Real Madrid are hoping to break Barcelona's dominance this season, but if they want that to happen they really need to get better results in the direct clashes. Now the Blancos are undefeated in their last eleven matches in all competitions, but last weekend they were unable to get more than a 1-1 draw at Valencia in LaLiga. Moreover, Karim Benzema scored in stoppage time to give Real Madrid a share of the spoils at the end of that game. Ferland Mendy is available again after suspension and will most likely be in the starting eleven, while Marco Asensio, Lucas Vazquez, Eden Hazard and Marcelo are out injured.
Probable line-ups:
Barcelona: Ter Stegen - Roberto, Pique, Lenglet, Alba - Busquets, De Jong, Rakitic - Messi, Suarez, Griezmann
Real Madrid: Courtois - Carvajal, Varane, Ramos, Mendy - Kroos, Casemiro, Valverde - Modric - Bale, Benzema
My prediction:
Barcelona are unbeaten at home this season and they seem slightly better than Real at the moment, so I would bet on a 2-1 victory for the home side.
Here are the odds for the match at NetBet:
Barcelona win - 1.77
Draw - 4.05
Real Madrid win - 4.15
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