Stakes are high in latest El Clasico on TSN

Sunday’s latest edition of El Clasico at Camp Nou isn’t actually a final, but for all intents and purposes, it is a final.

With four matchdays remaining on the La Liga calendar, Barcelona leads archrivals Real Madrid by four points. A win on Sunday by the hosts would make the mountain almost insurmountable for Los Blancos. A Real victory, on the other hand, would blow things wide open with Barca holding what is undoubtedly a more difficult remaining schedule.

You can catch Barcelona vs. Real Madrid LIVE on Sunday at 10:15 a.m. ET/ 7:15 a.m. PT on TSN3, the TSN App, and TSN.ca. Additional Spanish-language coverage is available on TSN+.

The league is the last chance for Real to claim a trophy in what increasingly appears to be Carlo Ancelotti’s final season as manager. According to multiple reports, the Italian is set to take the helm of Brazil at some point early next month. Former Real midfield general and outgoing Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso is widely expected to arrive at the Bernabeu in time for the Club World Cup.

Sure, Real won the Supercopa and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup this season, but those are far from major honours. At Real, it’s normally Champions League or bust. This season’s European campaign ended in the quarter-finals with a 5-1 thrashing on aggregate by Arsenal.

The Copa del Rey isn’t an option, either. After two goals in seven minutes from France teammates Kylian Mbappe and Aurelien Tchouameni, Real appeared to be on course to defeat Barca in last month’s final. But an 84th-minute goal by Ferran Torres forced extra time before Jules Kounde won it in the 116th for a heartbreaking 3-2 defeat for Los Blancos.

In the reverse league fixture in October at the Bernabeu, Real was thrashed by a tune of 4-0. Robert Lewandowski notched a brace while Lamine Yamal and Raphinha also scored. It was the second time in three years that Real slumped to a 4-0 defeat at home to Barca.

So, it’s now down to the league. To illustrate how rare a scenario this is for Real, they’ve only failed to win at least one of La Liga, the Champions League or the Copa three times in the past 15 years. A victory on Sunday is the first step to avoiding a fourth time.

Hansi Flick’s side enters Sunday’s match still stinging from midweek disappointment. The Blaugrana were eliminated in the Champions League semis by Inter in what was one of the tournament’s great ties.

Following a 3-3 first leg, the two teams played to an epic encounter at the San Siro. After the Nerazzurri jumped out to a 2-0 lead on first-half goals from Marcus Thuram and Hakan Calhanoglu from the spot, Barca evened things up over a six-minute span in the second through Dani Olmo and Eric Garcia. Ballon d’Or favourite Raphinha gave Barca the lead in the 87th and just when Barca seemed to have one foot in the Final, 37-year-old Francesco Acerbi forced extra time with a stoppage-time equalizer. It was Acerbi’s first-ever Champions League goal.

In the extra 30, it was Davide Frattesi who put Inter back ahead in the 99th, this time for good. Switzerland goalkeeper Yann Sommer, who had stood on his head multiple times over the two legs, made a game-saving stop on Yamal late into extra time to preserve the victory. Barca’s Champions League drought has now hit a decade.

The need for getting something out of this match is obvious for Flick. The last thing his team needs after such a crushing loss is to hand Real a lifeline. The going after Sunday’s El Clasico remains tough. Still left on the schedule for Barca are games against fifth-place Villarreal and fourth-place Athletic, as well another edition of the Derbi Barceloni against Espanyol next week. Los Blancos, meanwhile, will contend with 10th-place Mallorca, Sevilla in 16th and 11th-place Real Sociedad on the final matchday of the season.

 Barca heads into the match relatively healthy outside of fatigue from the midweek marathon. Kounde, who picked up a leg injury during the first leg against Inter, remains out. He will likely be replaced in the starting XI again by Garcia. Left-back Alejandro Balde (hamstring) has not been ruled out yet, but his participation is unlikely. Gerard Martin, who started against Inter, will likely be handed another start. Bench options Marc Casado (knee) and Pablo Torre (knee) are both longshots to be available.

Los Blancos, on the other hand, are riddled with injuries. The entirety of Ancelotti’s first-choice backline – Dani Carvajal (ACL), Antonio Rudiger (meniscus), Eder Militao (ACL) and Ferland Mendy (muscular) – are all out. Rudiger, had he been healthy, wouldn’t be available anyway. The Germany centre-back was handed a six-game ban in the wake of the Copa loss when he threw an ice cube at the ref from the touchline. David Alaba, who returned from over a year out in January, is once again dealing with knee discomfort and the Austria centre-back is once 
again on the shelf.

Defence is not the only place where Real is walking wounded. France midfielder Eduardo Camavinga (hamstring) is likely out through the Club World Cup. Brazil winger Rodrygo, who could be a good bet to leave the Bernabeu this summer, had been dealing with an illness, but is expected to be available on Sunday.

If recent history is an indicator, expect a winner on Sunday. The two teams have now played 17 straight El Clasicos without a draw, dating back to 2020. It is the longest ever such stretch in this storied rivalry.