Barcelona vs. Real Madrid: Barca Loss in El Clasico Would Be a Disaster

There will be a lot at stake when Real Madrid and Barcelona step onto the pitch to engage in yet another edition of El Clasico on Saturday.

Has a more obvious statement ever been uttered? Perhaps not. Saying there will be much at stake in El Clasico is akin to saying water is wet or the sky is blue.

So let's clarify things a little.

In Saturday's tilt between Real and Barcelona, there will be more than usual at stake.

Both sides suffered notable Champions League defeats this week, with Real losing a heartbreaker to Bayern Munich thanks to a late dagger from Mario Gomez. Meanwhile, Barcelona went on to drop a heartbreaker to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in a 1-0 defeat.

And make no mistake, it was a heartbreaker.

Chelsea played quite brilliantly, but Barcelona should have beaten the Blues.

I didn't say "could" have—they should have. Barcelona had chance after chance to put the ball in the back of the net, and whiffed on each one of them.

It was weird. Barcelona just looked so un-Barcelona.

So, between the two sides, I'd say there's more at stake for Barcelona in Saturday's showdown. It will be on them to show that their hiccup against Chelsea this week was just that—a hiccup—and nothing more. 

Returning home to the Camp Nou should help Barcelona return to form. It can also be taken for granted that they certainly will not be underestimating Real, which they may have been guilty of doing against Chelsea to their doom. The pieces are in place for Barcelona to get back to playing as only Barcelona can play.

Barcelona stands to gain a lot from brilliant play. A victory would most certainly be in the cards, and one of those will allow them to cut Real's lead in the La Liga table to a mere one point. Just as important, Barcelona will be back on form with Chelsea coming to town early next week.

A Barcelona defeat, on the other hand, would have disastrous consequences. Their shot at a fourth straight La Liga title would go up in flames, and Pep Guardiola's side will be left scrambling for answers just days before they're supposed to make up for their 1-0 loss at Chelsea.

This El Clasico is therefore a classic get-back-on-track match for Barcelona, a chance for them to reestablish their reputation as the best team on planet earth (and probably other planets as well).

If Barcelona lose, immediate mass confusion will swiftly follow, and then no doubt some will dare to question their status as the best team on earth.

A victory, or at least a draw, is a must.

Another obvious statement, perhaps. However, that doesn't make it any less true.