El Clasico: Key Issues That Will Shape Real Madrid vs. Barcelona
"The biggest game in the world just got bigger," Sid Lowe wrote in the Guardian on Friday.
He was, of course, talking about Saturday's showdown between Real Madrid and Barcelona at the Bernabeu in the Spanish capital:
"The world’s best [player] will [be there]. So will the world’s second best, whichever way round you prefer to place them.
The winner of the Ballon d’Or will be there, and the winner of last year’s Ballon d’Or.
The winner of the European Golden Shoe will be there too—both winners of the European Golden Shoe.
Plus the winner of the World Cup Golden Ball. And the World Cup Golden Boot.
"
If any further background was needed, Carlo Ancelotti pointed out in his pre-match press conference that there is no game in the world with as much quality on show, via UEFA's Joe Walker.
Such is its global appeal, Catalan newspaper SPORT has drawn up a map to show at what time and on what channel you can watch the match wherever you are in the world.
The scenario for this one sees Barcelona top of La Liga, yet to concede a goal in eight league matches, and Real Madrid in third, four points back but averaging 3.75 goals a game.
That's just the tip of the iceberg, though, and there are so many issues which could affect the latest Clasico.
The following slides take a look at some.
Two Words, Second Word: Suarez
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This has worked out perfectly, hasn't it?
Luis Suarez hasn't played a competitive game of football since Uruguay beat Italy at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. At the Bernabeu on Saturday, he could return.
The Uruguayan has served his time for biting Giorgio Chiellini, and it just so happens his ban ends at midnight on October 24, which is 18 hours before El Clasico kicks off.
His availability raises important questions on both sides of the fence.
Will Luis Enrique throw him straight in? Suarez has played very little football recently, although he was able to play twice for his country earlier this month.
Is that sufficient preparation for this game, though, of all games?
If not from the start, Luis Enrique will certainly have the 27-year-old on the bench. You get the feeling the likes of Munir El Haddadi and Pedro Rodriguez have just been filling time as the Barca boss waits for the final piece of his puzzle to return—the system looks perfect for the former Liverpool striker.
Meanwhile, how do Real Madrid prepare for him? Or don't they? Do they just focus on the Lionel Messi and Neymar connection?
Carlo Ancelotti says his return changes nothing, per AS.
Whatever happens, you get the feeling Suarez's role will somehow be significant in one way or another.
Questions in Midfield
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Real Madrid's midfield is the more predictable of the two for Saturday's clash, but that doesn't mean there aren't still questions over how it functions.
As with the Liverpool game, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric are likely to start.
And, at the risk of banging the same drum, there are still concerns over how they will do when immersed under pressure from the opposition.
Admittedly, they're slowly answering those concerns, but the season is a long one and they still need to prove that the lack of a more defensive-minded midfielder won't hurt Madrid.
If Carlo Ancelotti has the same concerns, he may bring in Sami Khedira, who appeared off the bench at Anfield.
Barca's doubts surround personnel.
Presuming Luis Enrique sticks with the same formula, and doesn't push Andres Iniesta further forward, he must choose from five men to fill three positions.
Sergio Busquets should return to take his place at the heart of Barca's midfield, leaving Javier Mascherano on the bench or in defence.
That then leaves Iniesta, Xavi Hernandez and Ivan Rakitic as the candidates for the other two positions.
All three have their merits.
Rakitic has supplied important protection to Dani Alves on the right side this season, Xavi can still control games and Iniesta appeared back to his best against Ajax in midweek.
There is no obvious solution for Luis Enrique, but his decision will affect the game in one way or another.
Jeremy Mathieu's Partner
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Luis Enrique has rotated his central defenders throughout the season, with Jeremy Mathieu, Marc Bartra, Gerard Pique and Javier Mascherano all used in the middle of Barcelona's back four.
Of the four, Mathieu has been the most impressive, which may be surprising to some given the eyebrows raised over the €20 million transfer fee paid to Valencia for the Frenchman’s signature earlier this year.
At the other end of the spectrum, Pique has been short of his best form, and this has been coupled with off the field problems which involved a bust up with the police, per SPORT.
It means the player, who has been an ever-present in the Barca side in recent seasons, is not guaranteed to start at the Bernabeu.
If he does, he will need to justify his manager's faith in him; if he doesn't, that leaves Luis Enrique choosing between Mascherano and Bartra.
Given Real Madrid's attacking prowess, this could prove one of the Barca coach's biggest decisions.
We Can Score More Than You
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Defenders are important, but you can't have a Clasico without entertainment further up the pitch.
That's where the attacking players come in.
Barcelona could line up with a front three of Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi and Neymar.
The latter two are the second and third top goal scorers in La Liga with 15 between them; Cristiano Ronaldo has 15 on his own.
The Portuguese forward will line up alongside Karim Benzema, with Isco and James Rodriguez the prime candidates to join them in Carlo Ancelotti's line up.
Benzema's brace against Liverpool took him to 40 Champions League goals and James picked up the Golden Boot at the World Cup.
Everywhere you look, there are goals.
Real Madrid are averaging 3.75 goals per game in the league and will almost certainly end Barcelona's run of eight consecutive clean sheets.
Paris Saint-Germain and, briefly, Ajax have already exposed weaknesses in Luis Enrique's back line and Ronaldo is a very difficult man to keep out.
Fortunately for Barca, they have players who are difficult to keep out, too.
Messi scored three the last time he played at the Bernabeu and two here will take him past Telmo Zarra's all-time La Liga record of 251 goals.
Then there's Neymar. And Suarez. And goals. So many goals.
Who can score the most?
The Return of Luis Enrique to Madrid
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"If there’s an opportunity to get one over on his former club, Lucho doesn’t like to pass it up," Lee Roden wrote for talkSPORT earlier this year about then-Celta Vigo manager Luis Enrique.
Celta went on to beat Madrid on that occasion, ending their participation in last season's title race.
Lucho had got one over on his former club.
Saturday will be different, though: Doing it as the manager of Barcelona will be even more special for the Asturian.
Enrique was a former Madrid player; although Los Blancos fans would probably prefer to overlook that fact given he swapped the Spanish capital for Catalonia's biggest city.
He went on to score five goals against Madrid as a Barca midfielder, which you can view on AS here, and it has never been questioned which side of the divide he is seated.
On Saturday, his latest return to the Bernabeu, for the first time as Barca's coach, is just another sub-plot in an already detailed script.
