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Agence France-Presse

Real Madrid realistically need to end Barcelona’s 24-match unbeaten run to maintain hopes of retaining their La Liga title when Spanish football’s two behemoths meet in El Clasico on Saturday (8pm Hong Kong time).
Barca lead fourth-placed Madrid by 11 points at the top of the table, albeit Real do have a game in hand.
However, it was at the Santiago Bernabeu that Barca last tasted defeat in August as Real cruised to a 5-1 aggregate win in the Spanish Super Cup.
Here are five keys to deciding who will end the year victorious.

Messi-Alba connection
Barca have overcome Neymar’s departure with relative ease thanks to left-back Jordi Alba’s return to form, in large part caused by the Brazilian’s absence on the left side of Barca’s attack.
“I have a lot more room to go forward and in all honesty for me it is much better,” admitted the Spanish international.
Lionel Messi has also benefited with three of Alba’s six assists this season setting up the Argentine.
The Alba-Messi connection also gave Barca a famous 3-2 win as Messi scored with the last kick of the ball at the Bernabeu in April when Neymar was suspended.
Madrid right-back Dani Carvajal has played just five games since September because of a long-term virus and a lack of cover offered by Madrid’s narrow four-man midfield could give Alba plenty of space to exploit.

‘BBC’ finally fit to return?
Madrid’s famed ‘BBC’ front three of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale have yet to play a single minute of action together this season, largely because of Bale’s injury problems.
However, the Welshman scored on his return to action to help Real win the Club World Cup last week leaving Zinedine Zidane spoilt for choice with his starting line-up.
Zidane is expected to stay loyal to the side that started the Champions League final in May with Bale only featuring from the bench.
Yet, the pace offered by Bale and Marco Asensio, who has scored in his last three matches against Barca, could prove decisive in the second-half.

Ronaldo and Suarez back in form
Between them Ronaldo and Barca’s Luis Suarez had a pitiful return of a combined four goals in La Liga until mid-November as age appeared to be taking hold of both now in their 30s.
However, Ronaldo and Suarez now look like their old selves to add plenty more firepower to a fixture never short on goals.
Ronaldo has eight in his last seven games, including the winner in the Club World Cup final last weekend.
Suarez, meanwhile is now La Liga’s joint third highest scorer thanks to six in his last five league games.

Is Barca’s new defence for real?
Ernesto Valverde’s version of Barca may lack the same spark as those coached by Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique over the past decade, but the results are just as good thanks to an exceptionally mean defence backed up by the brilliance of Marc-Andre ter Stegen in goal.
Valverde’s men have kept 17 clean sheets and conceded only eight goals in total on their 24-game unbeaten run.
The real test, though, comes at the Bernabeu, especially with Thomas Vermaelen expected to deputise for the injured Samuel Umtiti at centre-back.
Barca have kept just one clean sheet against Madrid in their last 24 meetings.

Brazilian brute force
Of all the stars on show, Brazilian international duo Casemiro and Paulinho may not be the most pleasing on the eye but both bring a physical edge to the midfield battle that make them vital components to their respective sides.
Casemiro is Madrid’s destroyer who creates the platform for Toni Kroos, Luka Modric and Isco to create.
However, he will have to keep a close eye on his compatriot, whose ability to time his runs into the opposition area has seen him register six goals in 15 La Liga appearances and quickly quieten the critics who questioned his €40 million (US$47.36 million) signing from Chinese side Guangzhou Evergrande.


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Spanish La Liga

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Cristiano Ronaldo helped sink Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup. Photo: AFP

FC Barcelona's Paulinho, right, kicks the ball to score during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between FC Barcelona and Deportivo Coruna at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Dec. 17, 2017. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Soccer Football - La Liga Santander - FC Barcelona vs Deportivo de La Coruna - Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain - December 17, 2017 Barcelona’s Luis Suarez celebrates scoring their third goal REUTERS/Albert Gea

Soccer Football - FIFA Club World Cup Final - Real Madrid vs Gremio FBPA - Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - December 16, 2017 Real Madrid’s Gareth Bale celebrates with the trophy after winning the FIFA Club World Cup REUTERS/Matthew Childs

Soccer Football - La Liga Santander - Villarreal vs FC Barcelona - Estadio de la Ceramica, Villarreal, Spain - December 10, 2017 Barcelona’s Thomas Vermaelen in action REUTERS/Heino Kalis

TOPSHOT - Barcelona's Uruguayan forward Luis Suarez (L) celebrates a goal with Barcelona's Argentinian forward Lionel Messi (C) and Barcelona's Spanish defender Jordi Alba during the Spanish league football match FC Barcelona vs RC Celta de Vigo at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on December 2, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / Pau Barrena

Stars to come out in the day for Barcelona and Real Madrid as La Liga wakes up to Asia market with early El Clasico kick-off

Barcelona's Sergi Roberto and Gerard Pique, and Real Madrid's Marcelo chase the ball in the most recent El Clasico in April. Photo: AFP

Soccer Football - FIFA Club World Cup Final - Real Madrid vs Gremio FBPA - Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - December 16, 2017 Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo and team mates celebrate with the trophy after winning the FIFA Club World Cup REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

Barcelona's Argentinian forward Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring during the Spanish league Clasico football match Real Madrid CF vs FC Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on April 23, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / OSCAR DEL POZO

TOPSHOT - Barcelona's Argentinian forward Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring during the Spanish league Clasico football match Real Madrid CF vs FC Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on April 23, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / OSCAR DEL POZO

Soccer Football - FIFA Club World Cup Final - Real Madrid vs Gremio FBPA - Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - December 16, 2017 Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates winning the FIFA Club World Cup REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Sport

Football

La Liga giants face off on Saturday night with Madrid looking to keep their slim hopes of retaining the title alive


Five keys to Real Madrid v Barcelona with El Clasico set for prime time in China

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}La Liga giants face off on Saturday night with Madrid looking to keep their slim hopes of retaining the title alive

La Liga giants face off on Saturday night with Madrid looking to keep their slim hopes of retaining the title alive