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Spanish league returns with fascinating and emotional Classico

Xinhua, March 28, 2016 Adjust font size:

The end of the final international break before the end of the season means that in Spain attention focuses on the run into the end of the domestic season which returns with the biggest game of the season as FC Barcelona entertain historic rivals Real Madrid in "El Classico".

In terms of the destiny of the BBVA Primera Liga the game does not have much at stake given that Barcelona lead second place Atletico Madrid by nine points and Real Madrid by 10 with just eight games left to go, but in terms of pride and morale there is still everything to play for.

Barcelona defeated Real Madrid 4-0 in the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in their first meeting earlier this season, a result which began to see the criticism rain down on former coach Rafael Benitez, who was sacked and replaced by Zinedine Zidane at the start of January.

The Madrid squad insist they are happier with Zidane in charge, but the fact is that their performances have not improved much under his leadership and although they beat Sevilla 4-0 before the international break, the result can partly be explained by key absences in a Sevilla side that had played in the Europa League three days earlier.

A trip to the Camp Nou will give us the chance to see just where Real Madrid really are ahead of their Champions League quarter-final tie against Wolfsburg and show whether or not they have a realistic chance of winning an eleventh European title.

For Barca meanwhile the game is a matter of pride and also of morale ahead of their decidedly tougher Champions League tie against Atletico Madrid.

Victory over Real Madrid would merely confirm their status as favorites to become the first side ever to retain the Champions League and would show they are still top dogs in Spain.

But for Barcelona the game has a far more emotional edge to it. It will be the first game they have played following the death of legendary former player and coach Johan Cruyff through lung cancer on March 24th.

Cruyff is widely credited as the man who changed Barcelona' s mentality and style, bringing in the total football which has seen the club dominate both Spain and Europe in recent years through his protegees such as Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique.

The club has already opened up an area for fans to pay tribute and there even calls for the name of the Camp Nou to be changed to the "Johan Cruyff Stadium", but for Barca's fans and players there is probably a better way to remember the great man: by beating Real Madrid on Saturday with the whole world watching. Endit