Back Barcelona in the first of four Clasicos
There is a possibility of an underwhelming conclusion to the current Premier League campaign, at least as far as the title race is concerned, but luckily there's a magnificent distraction being provided in Spain in preparation for that scenario, a marathon stint of four Clasicos in the space of 18 days.
Real Madrid and Barcelona, Spain's two biggest clubs and - some would argue - the two best teams in the world right now, meet in La Liga on Saturday, before then colliding on Wednesday in the Copa del Rey Final, a huge occasion that will be dwarfed by their Champions League semi-final two-legger.
It's an absolutely tantalising prospect and, with morale likely to play a significant role in how the four clashes transpire, both sides will be hungry to get underway with a victory in what ultimately has to be considered the least critical tie of the lot, as Barcelona will lead by four points even if they lose.
Pep Guardiola's men are [1.06] to be crowned champions for the third year in a row because Real Madrid still have to face Valencia, Sevilla and Villarreal, while Barca have played the rest of the top seven twice and will surely hold the head-to-head advantage over Real after their 5-0 win at the Camp Nou.
The other intriguing subplots are that this is Real Madrid's first domestic game at the Bernabeu since Jose Mourinho's nine-year unbeaten streak at home was ended by Sporting Gijon, and Barcelona haven't lost on their league travels since February 2010, so [2.52] is a huge price on them to triumph.
The other big odds to take notice of are the [2.6] opposing both teams to score, as the last three Clasicos have ended with one club keeping a clean sheet. As Barca have won all five encounters against Real Madrid with Guardiola as boss, also look for them to win to nil at [5.0].
Real Madrid v Barcelona
Kick-off: 9pm
Live on Sky Sports 1
Who are you backing at the Bernabeu? Share your predictions below...
Published: 15 Apr 2011
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