Frank Lorenzo
Real Madrid (+130) vs. Barcelona (+187) (Draw +260)
Titans are set to do battle in Spain tomorrow. (Actually, what are bigger than titans? Olympians? It doesn’t matter. What I’m trying to say is that two really good soccer teams are set to square off.)
After a slow start in Spain’s La Liga, Real Madrid have played an amazing month of soccer; but an equally hot Barcelona squad comes to town tomorrow for the Clásico (12:00 p.m. Eastern at Santiago Bernabeu).
Titans are set to do battle in Spain tomorrow. (Actually, what are bigger than titans? Olympians? It doesn’t matter. What I’m trying to say is that two really good soccer teams are set to square off.)
After a slow start in Spain’s La Liga, Real Madrid have played an amazing month of soccer; but an equally hot Barcelona squad comes to town tomorrow for the Clásico (12:00 p.m. Eastern at Santiago Bernabeu).
The head-to-head history between these Leviathans (ok, I’ll stop now) is fairly even. Real and Barca have squared off in 168 La Liga matches and Real leads the series with 70 wins versus Barca’s 66. The recent history is also level as the teams have split their last four competitive matches.
Currently, the odds favor the home team, Real Madrid. “Los Blancos” are listed at +130 to win, while a Catalan victory will pay +187, and the draw +260.
The game represents a battle between the best defense in the league (Barcelona) and the best offense (Real Madrid). Through eight completed fixtures in La Liga, Barca has yet to concede a goal, whereas Real has scored 30, with an astonishing five goals per game average in the last five matches.
In addition, both teams won midweek away games in the Champions League; Barcelona beat Ajax 3-1, and Real Madrid shoutout Liverpool 3-0. As Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti noted after the Champions League game in England, it appears that both teams are coming into the Clásico in top form.
The game-within-the-game will feature a battle between two of the most prolific scorers in soccer history. Barcelona’s Lionel Messi and Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo are both chasing Spanish legend Raul’s record for Champions League goals this season. While any goals they score tomorrow won’t count toward that tally, the pair will certainly be eager to one-up each other and set the tone for their pursuit of history.
In the table, Barcelona is on top of La Liga with 22 points (7W, 1D, 0L) and a +22 goal differential. Real Madrid is in third place with 18 points (6W, 0D, 2L) and a +21 differential.
In this Goliath-versus-Goliath matchup (last one, I swear), bet the draw.
(Photo credit: Christopher Johnson (Flickr) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.)
