SPANISH LA LIGA BETTING PICK - FC BARCELONA V REAL MADRID

Spanish La Liga

2012-10-07 - FC Barcelona vs Real Madrid

A Sports Betting Pick by Cruiser

Match Preview :

In the words of Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho, "the world comes to a stop when Barcelona and Real Madrid faces each other" and this is how big the clash when these two sides come up against each other on Sunday for the first El Clasico in the league this season.

After a poor start to the season, Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid find themselves trail leaders Barcelona by eight points who have so far a 100% record in La Liga with 6 wins out of six. A defeat to Barcelona so early in the season could extend Barca's lead to eleven points and that is already unthinkable so early in the season to play catch up.

We can see that Barcelona are really hungry to win the title this season with their never say die attitude as they came back from behind four times this season and against Sevilla they came back from 2-0 down for the first time since 1999 to win 3-2 with a last-minute goal from David Villa! That come back against Sevilla only showed that they are determined to win the title this season after Real Madrid won it last season.

However, on the other side it also shows that they need to rely on their comebacks which means they don't start their games well and do make defensive errors against their opponents which means they have problems at the back. In midweek, Lionel Messi was inspirational as he set up goals for Alexis Sanchez and Cesc Fabregas in their 2-0 Champions League Group G victory over Benfica.

That win came with a price after Carles Puyol suffered a dislocated elbow and with Gerard Pique out through injury as well, they will no doubt have problems at the back. And with Javier Mascherano and Alex Song playing playing in centre backs, with Song the former Arsenal player in the side, that forces the team to drop deep at the back. Song tends to pass the ball backwards rather then upfront to the attackers and this could be something Mourinho's side especially Ronaldo could exploit.

Barcelona are also without Andres Iniesta who kis a key player in my opinion, other then Xavi. With his absence the team is playing a 4-2-2-2 formation, with two very wide players, Messi and Cesc Fabregas playing the role of strikers and Sergio Busquets and Xavi as central midfielders. The problem is when they defend they pass the ball poorly, but it is not the case when they attack they tend to play close to each other.

So what we get at the moment is a Barcelona side which is up and down in their style and the way they control games. Their inability to control the ball is what is dangerous against them here which Real Madrid can exploit. So far it has not gone against them as they have won all 6 matches so far but now it could very likely come unstuck when they face La Liga winners Real Madrid.

Barcelona have already lost to Real Madrid in the Super Cup this season. Their coach Tito has been real smart to adjust the team during the games so they can still come back when they are down in games. He is a thinker and knows when things needs to be changed to get the results.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid are slowly starting to find their form after a poor start to their season. Luka Modric add strength to the midfield and that means they have been able to rest Xabi Alonso with two big games, Ajax and Barcelona to come. Last weekend Modrid as well as Mesut Ozil played and that doesn't happen very often. Ozil is one of the players Mourinho likes to see much improvement from.

Sami Khedira played really well and he will be hoping it will be good enough to earn him a place in the sgtarting lineup for this match. Khedira did well to initiate the attacks as well as disrupting the attacks of their opponents. He was also instrumental in the team moving forward and that made it difficult for their opponents.

Real Madrid have come good just as it mattered most when they are to face Barcelona for the Clasico. Jose Mourinho who initially had words with Sergio Ramos by stating that sometimes he's not at his best, now has a Sergio Ramos who really wants to fight and fight for his place in the side. Another player who will likely get a start is Karim Benzema. He is playing well and is in good form to be left on the bench. Angel Di Maria is also doing well with his runs who could support Ronaldo in the side.

And lastly there's not forgetting Ronaldo who needs no introduction any longer. He gets good support from his team mates and no longer has to do everything by himself. It is true however to say that if he does not play well or have an off day, the team also suffers. But knowing he wants to prove he is the best player in the world when coming up against Messi, expect him to give his best in this match.

Prediction :

Take Real Madrid and accept the 1/2 ball for them not to lose on the night.

The Statistics :

The Pick :

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