Even though FC Barcelona have won the La Liga title and Copa Del Rey; still this Clasico matters a lot especially for the future of their Manager.
Normally a domestic double in any league is a huge task for a team to achieve; but with this Barca side we have become so used to it; it appears like a routine affair! Everytime we don't achieve the treble it feels like a bit of disappointing season; little we remember that only it has ever been done twice in history.
Considering where we were at the start of the season, any fan would have taken the domestic double. The disappointment stems from the fact that we have rounded up the league effectively by december and how we screwed ourselves against Roma. It hurts more seeing how other teams are also seriously under-performing; which definitely makes you wonder had we played properly in the second leg at Roma, would there be anyone who could stop us from performing the treble.
A Dead Clasico, it may Appear!
There is technically nothing at stake in Sunday's encounter; well at least mathematically. In reality there is no dead Clasico. Real Madrid despite reaching the final of UEFA Champions League for a third consecutive time, will be looking to make amends for a horrific La Liga season they had. Despite the long held tradition Real Madrid had made it clear that they will not honour the newly crowned Champions with a 'Guard of honor'. That refusal will increase their stake in the match as they will be aware the implication of a bad result there after.
But the one person who will have more at stake would be Erneste Valverde. Despite the orchestrated Campaign of Support shown by the Club, Fans have serious doubts about his credibility in leading Barca and matching the club's ambition. It all comes down to one single match against Roma, where he failed to even read where the match was going. That will play in each and every Barca fans mind in the rest of his tenure.
Valverde is in a Catch-22 Situation
It's funny how things change in a short span of time. Going into the Clasico Valverde's position is much trickier than many realize. A lose or draw at home to arch-rivals Real Madrid will definitely see the clamor of calls for his removal increasing. Hence not winning is not an option for Valverde.
Even winning could increase the pressure on him; as it will solely put the sole blame of that disastrous performance on him. And it also will affect players mentality next season; if he continues. If Barca manage to win with a sizable margin, just imagine the kind of campaign that will be unleashed in the social media sphere. The dissappointment of Champions League exit will hurt again that too in double the quantity.
Records at Stake in the Clasico
There are quite a few records Barca is gunning down this season, primarily to see whether we could remain unbeaten throughout the season. If we achieve that, then it would be quite a feat especially no one has done it in the history of La Liga. For that, the biggest hurdle will be Real Madrid's visit to Camp Nou. That makes this match interesting. Then there is the Golden Shoe race which is heating up.
Lionel Messi currently leads the table ahead of Liverpool's Salah. Messi have the added advantage of having four games left to play; which is more than everyone in contention. That makes it much more interesting than a dead rubber Clasico as Real Madrid is one of Messi's favourite opponents to score against.
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