The two ogres of Spanish football have had a busy week. But above all, very different… FC Barcelona thus left the Champions League, suffering a heavy defeat against Paris Saint-Germain (4-1). A new European failure for Xavi’s team, while Real Madrid obtained their ticket for the semi-finals by taking out Manchester City, on penalties after 120 breathtaking minutes. This evening at the Santiago BernabĂ©u, the two enemies meet again.
Obviously, the dynamic seems favorable to the Madrilenians, even if they had one less day of rest and extra time on their hands. Solid leader of La Liga with eight points ahead of its evening rival, Carlo Ancelotti’s team can bury all suspense in the event of victory this evening. Just like the Catalans can hope to revive La Liga in the event of victory. This season, the Merengues won the two Clasicos, in La Liga in October (2-1), then in the Spanish Super Cup in January (4-1).
A decisive match
For this match, Carlo Ancelotti will logically not rotate. Andriy Lunin will occupy the cages, coming off an XXL performance against Manchester City. The Nacho-Rüdiger hinge, also brilliant at the Etihad, will also be renewed, with Mendy and Carvajal on the sides. In the middle, place Kroos, Tchouaméni, Valverde and Bellingham, while the Vinicius-Rodrygo duo will make up the Madrid offensive sector.
Opposite, Xavi will also bring out his fairly classic eleven. The Araujo-Cubarsi duo will protect Ter Stegen from Madrid attackers, while Cancelo and KoundĂ© will secure the flanks. In midfield, Pedri should be rested, and Christensen will accompany De Jong and Gundogan. Up front, the usual trio composed of Lamine Yamal, Lewandowski and Raphinha will try to hurt Madrid’s solid defense.
