Barcelona vs. Real Madrid: El Clásico Will Be Important but Not Decisive

On Monday, the whole world and their dog will be watching El Clásico between Barcelona and Real Madrid.

This rivalry started on February 17, 1902 and it's only been growing since. El Clásico is more than just a rivalry; it's a clash of cultures and the history they represent, a clash between Spanish nationalism (Real Madrid) and Catalan nationalism (Barcelona). This is, without a doubt, the biggest rivalry in World Football.

Spain will stop to watch El Clásico, but it won't be just Spain. Barcelona and Real Madrid have a combined 90 million fans (58 for Barcelona, 32 for Real Madrid) only across Europe and they're easily the most popular football clubs in the world along with Manchester United. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are also the two most popular footballers in the world, and many fans will watch the match because of them.

Besides, there's no neutral fans in El Clásico; almost every football fan around the world hates at least one of the Spanish giants, sometimes both. 

Most neutrals will be supporting Barcelona. With the grandiose rise to perfection that the blaugrana have achieved in recent years and with their attractive brand of football, they've become the second favorite team of many neutrals.

This time, however, Real Madrid will have more support than usual.

Just like every successful team, Barcelona have earned their fair share of haters ever since Guardiola took charge. Barcelona's football philosophy has ensured that these haters are a minority, but they do exist. Some fans who hate Real Madrid will put their hatred aside and support Los Blancos, simply because they can't stand to see Barcelona win anymore. Many José Mourinho haters will now be hoping that the Portuguese manager puts an end to Barcelona's domination.

Should Barcelona fail to get all three points on Monday, it will be seen by these people as proof that Barcelona's successful run is over. Should Barcelona win, it will be seen by many as proof that Real Madrid and José Mourinho are overrated.

This, however, couldn't be further from the truth. No matter what happens on Monday, the title race will be open.

In the best-case scenario for Barcelona, they'll get a two-point lead on their eternal rivals, while Real Madrid best-case scenario is a four-point lead. With 25 matches left to play (including another Clásico), these gaps are close to meaningless, as both Barcelona and Real Madrid will certainly drop more points along the way.

Both Pep Guardiola and José Mourinho and even some players have clearly stated that this is far from a decisive match, and it's impossible to argue with that.

The hype surrounding this match is somewhat justified; after all, it's the Clásico. But it's also exaggerated to some extent. This will only be "the biggest Clásico ever" until the next one comes around in April, in what could potentially be a decisive match.

This one has, however, all the makings of a classic match. On display are the two biggest clubs in the world, the best players in the world and the two managers of the moment (the last two managers to win the Champions League).

The most interesting duel is perhaps between Lionel Messi and José Mourinho, as the best player of this generation will face the best and most successful manager of the past decade.

But there will also be Xavi Hernandez, Cristiano Ronaldo and Andrés Iniesta, who can all claim to be among the top five players in the world at the moment. And of course, the majority of the recent World Champions will also feature at Camp Nou.

Barcelona and Real Madrid have slowly, but steadily, been building a monopoly of the best football players in the world, and they currently possess arguably the two strongest squads in Europe. José Mourinho's arrival has only brought even more mediatic attention to El Clásico. Pep Guardiola has won everything in his short managerial career, but can he beat The Special One?

This year, the battle of the two Spanish giants will be more intense than ever. Pep Guardiola's Barcelona are trying to cement their position among the best club teams of all-time (which they already are), while José Mourinho and Real Madrid are trying to stop the blaugrana and build a dynasty of their own.

Both teams have been looking great and have been steamrolling the competition lately, both in Spain and in Europe. It is therefore natural that El Clásico is even more so eagerly awaited.

For the first time in years, Barcelona's domination is under serious danger. A Real Madrid win might start a shift in the balance in the power.

But then again, it might not: As big an event as this Clásico will be, it will by no means be decisive, regardless of the outcome.

That said, a fabulous, unforgettable duel is expected. Who will win is anybody's guess. After all, no one knows what happens when the unstoppable force meets the immovable object.

For more Barcelona-related and Clásico-related content, please check and join http://www.barcablaugranes.com/, where Manuel Traquete is a Featured Blogger and Senior Editor.