The Battle of Spain, where it is almost nothing. What’s at stake in El Clásico?

A fight between two irreconcilable rivals whose hatred goes far beyond sport. The biggest and most watched match in the world is El Clásico between Real Madrid and Barcelona. But in the current one, there’s not so much to play for.

In the era of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, it was customary for the two teams to lose almost nothing, and they were very close in the table. Often, it was the clashes between them that decided who would lift the title. But that’s not the case in the current season.

Sure, El Clásico will always be the biggest game and for Real Madrid, Barcelona will always be the most hated opponent. However, logically, it can’t have that much weight this year when Los Blancos are leading the league by 10 points and have a 15-point lead on the Catalans.

If they do happen to lose to the Blaugranas, what will happen? Virtually nothing, only the lead would be reduced to a still staggering 12 points. Players and fans alike can be completely calm before the game, as even the blackest scenario doesn’t mean anything terrible.

Add to that the record of the last El Clásico. Real have beaten Barcelona five times in a row, they haven’t even lost six games in a row. So all the trumps are in Madrid.

Barcelona, on the other hand, is playing for a lot from Real. A defeat would be very upsetting for the Catalans, and not only because they would have to bow to their hated rival for the sixth time in a row. After all, Xavi’s charges are in contention for the Champions League and every point lost could cost Barcelona a place in the Top 4.

At the moment, Sevilla are second with 56 points, while Barcelona are in third place with 51 points. Atlético Madrid are fourth with the same number of points, while Real Betis, in vital form, have collected 49 points.

Atlético plays Rayo Vallecano, while Betis takes on Celta Vigo. If both teams make it through their duels and the Catalans don’t, they will fall back to fifth place. Not participating in next year’s Champions League could have fatal consequences for the club, both in terms of finances and possibly bringing in reinforcements. You don’t get many stars in the Europa League.

El Clásico, which is seemingly a no-brainer, still has its appeal. Because the hatred between the two teams and cities is so great that every match promises to be a heated spectacle.

Source: La Liga