Real Madrid and Barcelona's big match is just weeks away, and one of the biggest questions revolving around the game will finally be answered -- who wins the midfield?

In the past, the game plan between the two sides was rather straightforward. Barcelona would hold the ball and Madrid would wait for the moment to strike on the counter.

Barcelona still plays the same way, but Madrid has also turned into a possession team. Who wins the battle for possession in the midfield?

Barcelona

Andres Iniesta, Xavi, Sergio Busquets, Ivan Rakitic. These will be the major players in Barcelona's midfield. Xavi is likely to start on the bench for this one while Rakitic takes over as the lead distributor.

Barcelona can hold the ball and has shown an ability to do so at the start of the year. According to WhoScored, Barcelona has an average possession of 64 percent throughout the year. There has not been a game in which the team has not bossed the ball throughout. And that has been the secret to the team's clean sheets in the Spanish League -- the best offense is a strong defense, or in this case ball retention.

But Barcelona has shown that it can be susceptible on the counter. This was present in their game against Paris Saint-Germain when the team found little space with which to play their passing style. Moreover, the team was simply not quick enough to track back and defend the counter.

The biggest weakness of Barcelona's midfield, however, is their inability to counter quickly. There were many opportunities when the team could have won the ball back in their end of the pitch against Paris and transitioned with speed and caught the opposition on the counter. Instead, Barcelona slowed down the game and played its slow tiki taka. With players like Lionel Messi and Neymar up front (and soon Luis Suarez), a counter should be more than feasible for Barcelona. The fact that they cannot figure it out is a problem that could cost the team in Madrid.

Real Madrid

Real Madrid, on the other hand, has a tremendously good counter with such players as James Rodriguez, Luka Modric, Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema leading the way.

However, they has not been used as often as years past, and so their effectiveness with Angel Di Maria has yet to be completely tested against a top team.

Toni Kroos, Rodriguez and Modric are the likely trio in Coach Carlo Ancelotti's 4-3-3 against Barcelona, but they create a bit of an issue. Kroos is a possession king, but he has rarely been effective without the ball. Modric is a terrific passer, but he has often been asked to sit back with Kroos and defend. This has forced him to play roles he is not suited to and his effectiveness has waned. Rodriguez has worked hard to defend, but has not been completely successful in that role.

If Madrid has the ball and plays possession, they could have some effectiveness going forward. However, without the ball, the team might need a completely different feel and look.

Enter Asier Illarramendi.

The holding midfielder has looked good when called upon and he will need to be on the pitch to give Madrid some defensive shape. It might mean sacrificing Kroos for a game and conceding possession to Barcelona and playing on the break.

Who is Better?

Both teams have problems in the midfield despite having top quality players. If Madrid tries to dominate possession, then it will likely suffer throughout. Barcelona has the ability, with Busquets, to shut down Madrid in the center of the pitch. Meanwhile, Madrid lacks a true defensive midfielder (aside from Illarramendi) that could shut down Barcelona on a break. Playing Illarra means either sitting Rodriguez or Kroos. It would be interesting to see Kroos deployed as a central attacking midfielder, something he has yet to do with Madrid.

Barcelona's identity gives them a slight edge in this area, though Madrid could win the tactical battle with some astute decision making from Ancelotti.

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