El Classico: Key Match-Ups

With El Classico looming ever closer many are trying to predict which way the match will go. Which ever way that is these match-ups will be key.

Casillas vs the Barrage of Shots
With Barcelona's goal scoring form Casillas will have his work cut out for him. If anything can be read from the rest of the season he will not have much help from his defense. All the talk of his form slipping this match will be the one to silence his critics should he rise to the occasion.

Raul vs Puyol
The two captains of the biggest rivals will be going head to head more than any others this weekend. Raul will be the one expected to rally Real Madrid to what would be an upset. It is up to Puyol to shut the rallying cries up before they get started.

Guti and van der Vaart vs Xavi
An on form Guti can be in the argument of who is the deadliest playmaker. Van der Vaart still needs to find his form in La Liga but he can certainly create the winning moment. Last but not least is Xavi. Consistent, hard working and great are just a few words that can describe him and he will be at the heart of every move Barcelona make. Whichever of the playmakers is most on will undoubtedly decide the match.

Gago vs Toure
Possession is always key in big matches like El Classico. Gago and Toure are going to have a tough time. The game could come down to one well timed tackle and both these athletes are on form.

Messi vs Whoever Gets in His Way
While many say Messi has not been at the top of his game this season, but who can forget his hat-trick two seasons ago. What better game than getting back on track than El Classico. With no leftbacks available for Real Madrid, it will be interesting to see who will be stuck with the task of marking the Argentine. My guess is it will be Metzelder, for he started his career as a leftback.

Off the Field:

The Media vs Barcelona and Real Madrid
There is one thing this match will guarantee. The losing side will be the target of much media interest. Should Barca lose, every team will believe they can beat them, and a little belief is just what other clubs need to start tearing Barca apart. Should RM lose, the word crisis will be written on every paper around the world, as if it is not already there.

Europe vs Spain
Right now, Barcelona is considered "unstoppable." No matter how this game ends the other clubs in the Champion's League will be wary. On the other hand, a Real Madrid victory will cause the rest to fear two Spanish teams.

Projected Line-Ups:

Real Madrid:Casillas; Salago; Ramos; Cannavaro; Matzelder; van der Vaart; Gago, Guti; Drenthe; Higuaín; Raúl (C)

Barcelona: Valdés; Alves; Puyol (C); Márquez; Abidal; Touré; Gudjohsen; Xavi; Messi; Eto'o; Henry

Along with the appointment of Ramos, Barcelona president, Joan Laporta, has admitted that the growing pressure on his side does worry him. Laporta said the fact that everyone expects them to win heavily is concerning, and he hopes his players manage to keep their feet on the ground.

Whatever happens it is sure to be a thrilling contest and with just a few days to go before the big kick-off, the Goal.com Spanish football team reveal who they think will come out on top, and how they expect the game to unfold.

THE PREDICTIONS

Barcelona 3-0 Real Madrid:Real Madrid might have a new coach but at the end of the day they haven't got any new players and are up against the form side in Spain, if not Europe. Barcelona simply blew Valencia away last weekend and whilst Juande Ramos might be able to instil some confidence in the Madrid team he won't have enough time to help them get anything other than a respectable loss, maybe... James Walker-Roberts

Barcelona 2-2 Real Madrid: As Bernd Schuster said, winning at the Camp Nou is "impossible". I don't feel that Real Madrid can win on Saturday but I don't subscribe to the idea that they would be mauled by Barcelona. It's arguably the biggest match on the planet and the Real players should know how  to sustain some pride. Although it is tempting to suggest that Barca would win it, I would rather opt for a scoring draw, a 2-2, as Real are certain to concede. Subhankar Mondal

Barcelona 3-1 Real Madrid: Juande Ramos' arrival has meant that Real Madrid will go into the game with a slightly different outlook, but Barcelona will not and when they are on song at home then they have been unbeatable this season.

The game could hinge on an early goal with frustration growing if Pep Guardiola's side do not score quickly, but the strength of the hosts, the injuries and suspensions of the visitors and a baying home crowd will see Barça come out on top. Madrid will make it more difficult than perhaps it would have been under Schuster but they were not outstanding against Zenit and the nerves are clearly still there and will be tested by a hyped up Blaugrana side.  Lucas Brown

Barcelona 4-1 Real Madrid: Despite the arrival of Juande Ramos, Barcelona will win the match at a canter because Real Madrid cannot defend. Cannavaro is showing his age, as is Michel Salgado, while Marcelo is fast becoming a terrible liability at left back. Diarra is out so will be unable to screen the back four and as for Iker Casillas, he is arguably going through the difficult period of form in his career.

On the flip side, no side in Europe have scored more goals than the Blaugrana. It is impossible to see any other result than a potentially title-clinching victory for Pep Guardiola's side.  Paul Macdonald

Barcelona 5-0 Real Madrid: While past history has shown us that current form is often irrelevant ahead of El Clasico, it is hard to remember a time when there was such a gaping gulf between the two sides. At the moment, Real Madrid are the embodiment of Murphy's Law: whatever can go wrong, will go wrong, at the worst possible time, and in the worst possible way. The "new manager" effect can not be entirely dismissed, but Barca are still smarting from the guard of honour they had to form before their bitter rivals last year, and that should be enough to inspire them on to another famous "manita."   Arjun Miglani

Barcelona 3-1 Real Madrid: Juande Ramos brings to the table something Schuster could not: tactical prowess.  Barça have been scoring at will this season and the new Madrid manager is well aware of it. He will adjust his formation accordingly in an effort to challenge Messi, Eto'o, Alves, Henry, and Xavi to find the space necessary to work. The strategic change will not be enough, but the massacre would be worse in a classic Schuster formation.  Robben's pace and dribbling ability will be sorely missed in relieving the pressure on the Merengue defence. Cyrus C. Malek

Barcelona 2-2 Real Madrid: If you told me six days ago that Real Madrid would get walloped by Barcelona at the Camp Nou, I would have believed you. But after the turn of events on Tuesday and after watching Madrid's game against Zenit on Wednesday, not anymore. This is a very different Madrid side under Juande.

Of course, he would not have had much time to make drastic improvements but all he needed to do was make a few tweaks. You could see in Schuster's final few games that he and the players were simply trying too hard. But against Zenit, Madrid looked so effortless and imperious. They defended cohesively, they attacked with purpose and they moved the ball around with confidence. Obviously, Barca will still be the rampant Barca but Los Blancos stand a better chance of getting at least a draw now than they did a week ago.  KS Leong

Barcelona 1-2 Real Madrid: A new coach often brings a sense of liberation and determination that can make a team feel invincible in the short-term. Real Madrid were outstanding against a jaded Zenit side, and even though it was Barcelona's second string that lost at home to Shakhtar Donetsk, they broke their unbeaten streak at the worst possible time.

Though the injuries and suspensions for los Blancos will make matters difficult, the dogged defending Juande Ramos has drilled into them already could see them pinch the unlikeliest of victories... Sulmaan Ahmad

Barcelona 2-2 Real Madrid: Those who know about the Clasico know that it's always different. Form and tactics rarely matter, and it's purely down to motivation and passion. Still, Madrid are in a slump due to the plague of injuries and absences, whereas Barca are going through their best patch of form over the past three years. It will be a close fought battle by two very brave sides. All the factors are in Barca's favor, but they rarely matter. Feras Saad

Barcelona 1-1 Real Madrid: With so much at stake Real Madrid are likely to play a cagey game: this, coupled with the "new manager bounce" should see them able to pick up a point. That said it's very likely that Barcelona will dominate possession and chances.  Ewan Macdonald

(From Goal.com)

Barcelona 1-2 Real Madrid: This game is always huge. It doesn't matter how the season is going, both sides will fight it out til the death. With the pressure to perform on Barcelona, I think Real Madrid could steal a victory. Regardless of who wins, I see the game as a low scoring game. The first match up has been for the past few years compared to the second.  Me