Real Madrid vs Barcelona: 10 Questions About Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo & El Clasico With beIN Soccer Reporter Andres Cordero
It's Real Madrid.
It's Barcelona.
It's the El Clasico.
This soccer rivalry dates back nearly 100 years ever since Real Madrid and Barcelona faced off at the 1916 Copa del Rey. These two soccer clubs have featured the best players in the world ever since, and some of the most memorable moments in soccer history, and on Sunday, these two legendary clubs clash once more.
Veteran sports broadcaster Andres Cordero of beIN sports talked with Latin Post about the upcoming Week 26 La Liga match:
1. Barcelona is in first place and they are the home team, but Real Madrid won the first match. Which team needs this game more?
"Real Madrid needs to win this game more, because they're heading through a rough patch. This is not going to be a title defending game or in any sense a final, but I think Real Madrid needs to recapture that sense that they are a true title contender. They haven't played like it in recent weeks, and part of the reason is injuries. They've switched from a 4-4-2 to a 4-3-3 which hasn't been quite been effective. So in terms of recovering that sensation, this is a bigger game for Real Madrid."
2. Real Madrid has just three wins in their last six games. Why are they struggling lately?
"They've been able to play at their best when they have four mid-fielders, so this is a bit of an identity crisis. What I mean by that is, Real Madrid was playing in a very counter attack style with free kicks and time of possession, and they lived off of capitalizing off of other teams' mistakes. The speed of Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale was unstoppable early on. With the switch to the 4-3-3 Real Madrid doesn't quite have the ball enough as they want creating a tactical issue more than anything else."
3. Which team has the advantage in net?
"Without question Bravo. Iker Casillas is a very good goalkeeper who has come under a lot of criticism in Real Madrid. It's almost unfair because he's done so much for that club. Casillas is a very good goalkeeper, but he tends to make mistakes every now and then. Casillas showed that in the Champions League, as well, with brilliant saves but soft goals allowed. I think both Claudio Bravo and Casillas are solid, but Bravo is more consistent."
4. Just how big of a loss is James Rodriguez for Real Madrid?
"I think it's hugely important because he was the breakout star of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Some people thought Real Madrid went a little crazy on the amount they spent a player who had shined over the course of just five or six games. We've seen him play great at Monaco, but the World Cup far exceeded the expectations anyone had for him. When you lineup Real Madrid's roster he still is part of the best 11."
5. Pele believes Neymar will become the best soccer player in the world eventually. What do you think about Neymar?
"Neymar was decent last season, but he's really broken out this year. I agree with Pele in the sense that Neymar has everything it takes to win the Ballon d'Or award in the future. He's very young, and when we often talk about young players we almost take Neymar for granted because he is so good and accomplished already. He has adapted his game so well to play alongside Lionel Messi, which is always a fear when an outside superstar forward comes to Barcelona. So huge credit to Neymar for making Barcelona better and saying all the right things."
6. Valencia has been a hot team, and Atletico Madrid is barely hanging on. Does either club still have a chance to win the title or is this just a two-team race?
"There's a difference between Real Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia, Atletico Madrid, and that's consistency. Valencia and Atletico Madrid can certainly be every part as good as Real Madrid and Barcelona, but the two cubs (Atletico Madrid, Valencia) are fighting for the No. 3 spot with each other. It's also so difficult to compete against a team that has three times the budget, which Barcelona has on Atletico Madrid. Real Madrid and Barcelona have just put themselves in class of their own once again."
7. Would you say Real Madrid-Barcelona is the biggest soccer rivalry in the world?
"Without question. I think it's the biggest soccer match in the world after the Champions League final. This La Liga game doesn't decide the ultimate winner, but it's so captivating. This is the game that people care about most. It's better than any English Premier League game, because Manchester City and Manchester United have their ups and downs, whereas Real Madrid and Barcelona never leave fans disappointed. It seems like a player from Real Madrid or Barcelona are in the running for the Ballon d'Or Award every season. The two clubs compete at an astonishingly high level year in and year out, and I think that makes it the best rivalry in modern football."
8. What does Real Madrid have to do to win in Barcelona?
"It's interesting because this is the exact opposite of the first El Clasico match from Week 9. Obviously the tables have turned since. I think sometimes as football fans we're guilty of living 90 minutes at a time looking for a quick answer. I think in order for Real Madrid to beat Barcelona they have to need Gareth Bale to play more defense. Bale is such a great player, but when he's not recovering balls or defending he's not impacting the game enough. Bale has to do more away from the ball, which is why Real Madrid beat Barcelona back in Week 9."
9. Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo?
"They are without a doubt the two best players that I have ever seen. These guys are in a class of their own right now mainly because of their sheer volume of goals. In 2012, when Messi scored 91 goals in a calendar year, he set that bar so much higher than anyone, even Ronaldo. I think Messi has a bigger impact on his teams front three than Ronaldo because of his all around game. Ronaldo is more of a goal scorer, more of a finisher in a variety of ways. I think Messi does more. He's more of an overall complete player, and I've never seen someone do the things that he does. So I would have to give the advantage to Messi, who is the all-time La Liga scoring leader, Barcelona scoring leader, and has the most hat tricks in La Liga history. I'm even convinced that if Messi wanted to, he could be the best defensive middle fielder on the planet."
10. Who wins, Real Madrid or Barcelona?
"Because of form, the fact that Barcelona doesn't have to change what they're doing, and location, I would have to say Barcelona. If I had to make a score prediction, I'll say Barcelona, 2-1. Real Madrid has had to make so many changes in recent weeks and that's had a negative impact. I like the fact that Barcelona has had a successful working continuation."
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