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Key weekend for Barca and Madrid

Xinhua, November 5, 2016 Adjust font size:

FC Barcelona and Real Madrid both face vital matches on Sunday which could go some way towards deciding the destiny of the Liga Santander title.

While Real Madrid have what looks like a relatively straightforward home game against recently promoted Leganes, Barca have to travel to play a Sevilla side lying fourth in the table which has won the seven games played in front of their fans in the Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium.

Leganes' early season bounce after winning promotion appears to have disappeared and the side from the south of Madrid makes their first league visit to the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on the back of three straight defeats.

They will face a Real Madrid without Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Casemiro and with Benzema a doubt, which struggled to a 3-3 draw away to Legia Warsaw in the Champions League on Wednesday night, but who are top of the table and with Luka Modric poised to return following a knee operation. Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane will hope the Croatian can restore some balance in his side.

Barca suffered a chastening 3-1 defeat to Manchester City in Europe and Sevilla coach Jorge Sampaoli will have taken note how the English side were able to open his side up on the break. Sevilla played three central defenders in their recent win at home to Atletico Madrid and could well repeat the tactic.

Barca are still without Gerard Pique, Andres Iniesta, Jeremy Mathieu and Jordi Alba to limit Luis Enrique' s defensive options and he will hope that Samuel Umtiti and Javier Mascherano are tighter together than in Manchester, although Sergio Busquets and Andre Gomes will also have to provide the defensive cover that was missing in the Ethiad Stadium.

With Real Madrid's next two away games against Atletico Madrid and against Barca in the Camp Nou, the Catalans know a win against a Sevilla with title ambitions will keep them in touch at the top of the table and give them options to overtake them following the international break, while defeat will leave them with a lot of catching up to do and leave an atmosphere of crisis hanging in the air for the next fortnight. Enditem