Real Madrid vs Barcelona: All eyes on the biggest Clasico in years with La Liga title race on knife-edge
Spanish football expert Alvaro Montero discusses the key talking points ahead of this weekend's Clasico; Follow Real Madrid vs Barcelona with our dedicated live blog across Sky Sports' digital platforms on Saturday from 6.30pm; Kick-off 8pm.
Atletico Madrid have seen their lead at the top of La Liga eaten away by Real Madrid and Barcelona, and Spanish football expert Alvaro Montero believes this weekend's Clasico will go a long way to deciding the Spanish title race.
While Manchester City are cantering to a third Premier League title in four years, Bayern Munich are in pole position for a ninth successive Bundesliga win and Inter Milan are edging closer to a first Serie A crown since 2010... Hay Liga!
Atletico's loss away to Sevilla last weekend has blown the Spanish title race wide open. For the first time in more than three months, Barcelona depend on their own results to be crowned La Liga champions. They travel to the Spanish capital unbeaten in 19 league games; win their remaining nine fixtures and they will finish top for the first time in two years.
Real Madrid are playing with belief and real momentum.
At the back end of January, they fell seven points behind Atletico - who had two games in hand - following a 2-1 home defeat to Levante. But in the past two months, Diego Simeone has seen his side's advantage whittled down to just a solitary point to Barcelona in second.
Real are only two points further back in third, but with two teams above them still to play each other, Zinedine Zidane's men will be confident of making up the ground in the final two months of the campaign.
'Both teams arrive in the best moment of a bad moment,' Spanish football expert Alvaro Montero tells Sky Sports. 'It's been a weird season for both clubs.
'This is not the Barcelona of three or four years ago and nor is it the same Real Madrid. It's been a strange season where Atletico raced into a lead in La Liga, Real suffered in the group stages of the Champions League and Barcelona were knocked out by PSG.
'Neither are as good as they used to be with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi at their best, but they're both in the best moment of their season. Both arrive having just played huge games for differing reasons.
'In the case of Barcelona, it was the manner of their win over Real Valladolid in the last minute. A month ago, the feeling was that Liverpool would certainly knock Real out of the Champions League but they demonstrated once again how they perform when it comes to this stage in the competition.'
*SKY
Spanish football expert Alvaro Montero discusses the key talking points ahead of this weekend's Clasico; Follow Real Madrid vs Barcelona with our dedicated live blog across Sky Sports' digital platforms on Saturday from 6.30pm; Kick-off 8pm.
Atletico Madrid have seen their lead at the top of La Liga eaten away by Real Madrid and Barcelona, and Spanish football expert Alvaro Montero believes this weekend's Clasico will go a long way to deciding the Spanish title race.
While Manchester City are cantering to a third Premier League title in four years, Bayern Munich are in pole position for a ninth successive Bundesliga win and Inter Milan are edging closer to a first Serie A crown since 2010... Hay Liga!
Atletico's loss away to Sevilla last weekend has blown the Spanish title race wide open. For the first time in more than three months, Barcelona depend on their own results to be crowned La Liga champions. They travel to the Spanish capital unbeaten in 19 league games; win their remaining nine fixtures and they will finish top for the first time in two years.
Real Madrid are playing with belief and real momentum.
At the back end of January, they fell seven points behind Atletico - who had two games in hand - following a 2-1 home defeat to Levante. But in the past two months, Diego Simeone has seen his side's advantage whittled down to just a solitary point to Barcelona in second.
Real are only two points further back in third, but with two teams above them still to play each other, Zinedine Zidane's men will be confident of making up the ground in the final two months of the campaign.
'Both teams arrive in the best moment of a bad moment,' Spanish football expert Alvaro Montero tells Sky Sports. 'It's been a weird season for both clubs.
'This is not the Barcelona of three or four years ago and nor is it the same Real Madrid. It's been a strange season where Atletico raced into a lead in La Liga, Real suffered in the group stages of the Champions League and Barcelona were knocked out by PSG.
'Neither are as good as they used to be with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi at their best, but they're both in the best moment of their season. Both arrive having just played huge games for differing reasons.
'In the case of Barcelona, it was the manner of their win over Real Valladolid in the last minute. A month ago, the feeling was that Liverpool would certainly knock Real out of the Champions League but they demonstrated once again how they perform when it comes to this stage in the competition.'
*SKY
Spanish football expert Alvaro Montero discusses the key talking points ahead of this weekend's Clasico; Follow Real Madrid vs Barcelona with our dedicated live blog across Sky Sports' digital platforms on Saturday from 6.30pm; Kick-off 8pm.
Atletico Madrid have seen their lead at the top of La Liga eaten away by Real Madrid and Barcelona, and Spanish football expert Alvaro Montero believes this weekend's Clasico will go a long way to deciding the Spanish title race.
While Manchester City are cantering to a third Premier League title in four years, Bayern Munich are in pole position for a ninth successive Bundesliga win and Inter Milan are edging closer to a first Serie A crown since 2010... Hay Liga!
Atletico's loss away to Sevilla last weekend has blown the Spanish title race wide open. For the first time in more than three months, Barcelona depend on their own results to be crowned La Liga champions. They travel to the Spanish capital unbeaten in 19 league games; win their remaining nine fixtures and they will finish top for the first time in two years.
Real Madrid are playing with belief and real momentum.
At the back end of January, they fell seven points behind Atletico - who had two games in hand - following a 2-1 home defeat to Levante. But in the past two months, Diego Simeone has seen his side's advantage whittled down to just a solitary point to Barcelona in second.
Real are only two points further back in third, but with two teams above them still to play each other, Zinedine Zidane's men will be confident of making up the ground in the final two months of the campaign.
'Both teams arrive in the best moment of a bad moment,' Spanish football expert Alvaro Montero tells Sky Sports. 'It's been a weird season for both clubs.
'This is not the Barcelona of three or four years ago and nor is it the same Real Madrid. It's been a strange season where Atletico raced into a lead in La Liga, Real suffered in the group stages of the Champions League and Barcelona were knocked out by PSG.
'Neither are as good as they used to be with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi at their best, but they're both in the best moment of their season. Both arrive having just played huge games for differing reasons.
'In the case of Barcelona, it was the manner of their win over Real Valladolid in the last minute. A month ago, the feeling was that Liverpool would certainly knock Real out of the Champions League but they demonstrated once again how they perform when it comes to this stage in the competition.'
*SKY
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Real Madrid vs Barcelona: All eyes on the biggest Clasico in years with La Liga title race on knife-edge
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