It is now almost one month away from El Clasico, the single most important event of the soccer calendar.

This year will likely be the most fascinating version of the event with both teams entering fielding many question marks. Last year's first such competition saw both sides on fire. The second match essentially determined the Spanish League title.

This year is a bit different. Neither team is looking completely dominant in the early going and look markedly vulnerable. There was no Clasico that featured two vulnerable teams last year; Madrid did look a bit warn heading into the second contest, but Barcelona was in peak form.

So what are the weaknesses the both teams have exposed thus far?

Real Madrid

Real Madrid has improved defensively this season. Of that there can be no doubt as the club has conceded just one goal from all competitions. Moreover, Madrid has yet to lose a single game in any competition in 2015-16. That again is a marked improvement for a club that lost two of its first La Liga games in 2014-15.

That said, not everything is rosy in Spain's capital. Injuries have left the team's offense looking rather shaky. Isco has not looked like an able replacement for Gareth Bale or James Rodriguez as a creative trigger for the club. Both players should be back by the Clasico (Bale already is), but whether they will find the chemistry by the Clasico is another issue altogether.

The other problem is goalscoring. That might sound shocking considering the quality on this side, but Madrid has not been a dominant goalscoring side thus far. There have already been two 0-0 draws against Malaga and Sporting Gijon as well as a 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid and a 1-0 win over Granada, the same team that Madrid topped 9-2 last season. Part of the problem comes down to Cristiano Ronaldo suddenly passing less in the offensive third, shooting more and then missing more. A year ago he averaged 2.2 key passes per game on his way to a career-high 16 La Liga assists; this year he is down to 1.4 key passes per game and only one assist from seven games.

He is also taking 7.9 shots per game but only has five goals (all of them in one game!); a year ago he 6.4 shots per game and was already at 15 goals scored in the first seven games. Ronaldo was never as prolific as he was to start the 2014-15 season, but his numbers this year are concerning and with the recent loss of Karim Benzema could be even more problematic.

Barcelona

Barcelona's weaknesses come down to one thing -- regression and injury.

Let's tackle the first one. Barcelona's players were on a different level in 2014-15. The defense was perfect. The offense and midfield clicked exceptionally.

But they were playing in a way that was virtually unsustainable. The 21 goals conceded was the best total for the team since 2010-11. While this team was historic, few would truly believe that this tandem of defenders was that good. And to this point they have proven that they aren't.

Gerard Pique is making mental mistakes every game; something he magically stopped doing last season after being a liability for years prior. Jeremy Mathieu went from being a decent player prior to arriving in Barca to being a key piece and back to the way he was before he arrived. Dani Alves has also looked worn on the backend and has gotten caught up the pitch at every turn.

The MSN trio of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez has struggled to find the dynamic form of earlier. This should be fixed at some point, especially with the chances the three have gotten. However, it has been a concern early on.

However, injuries have been the team's biggest foe and they have exposed the club's greatest weakness - depth.

The Pedro Rodriguez transfer to Chelsea looks sillier by the minute despite its inevitability (of course he might be angry about playing consistently for a losing side rather than riding the bench on a contender) as it has forced Barcelona to put the likes of Sandro, Rafinha and Munir El Haddadi in place of Lionel Messi. No disrespect to the young prospects, but that is a huge downgrade. Pedro would have made the decrease in quality somewhat more manageable with his experience.

Claudio Bravo's injury early on forced Marc-Andre Ter Stegen to take on the role of the No. 1. He was good in the tournaments last season, but he has regressed to mediocre levels this year as the number one. Fortunately for Barca, Bravo is back and looking as good as ever.