This weekend sees Spain’s two biggest football clubs in one of the most watched football games around the world. All the spotlight has been on the fitness of Lionel Messi who has started full training but is still not sure whether the Argentine will start the match or not.
Without Messi, Barcelona managed to cope well with a few tactical tweaks allowing Neymar and Suarez to prosper as the main men. The Brazillian especially has been in electrifying form as Messi’s absence allows him to be more involved with the ball as well as get closer to the opposition box.
If Messi starts on the bench then Iniesta in most probability will start of the front three which will be a throwback to the days of Pep Guardiola. Under Enrique, the Spaniard has been mostly used as a part of the midfield three as Iniesta is taking up more responsibility and is tailoring his game to counter the effects of Xavi’s departure. One more option for Enrique is too play Sergi Roberto as a winger in a formation which will see Suarez and Neymar play upfront in a formation which looks like 4-4-2 on the pitch. A 4-4-2 against Real might be a risky option so it remains to be seen whether Enrique opts for such an attacking formation. If you think Barcelona without Messi should go in with an attacking formation and this will entail a victory for the Catalans then you should visit Betway and place your bets.
One more issue is the fitness of midfielder Ivan Rakitic,although reports say that the Croatian is expected to start against Real, it is not 100% confirmed. If Enrique is unable to select Rakitic,then he will be forced to start with Munir or Sandro. Althought plagued by injury problems,the form of Neymar and Suarez will give Barcelona an edge over Real Madrid especially as the latter’s attack has looked blunt in recent times.
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