The first Classic of the decade will bring together two opponents who find it difficult to impress and no longer like what they were in the past • But both Real Madrid and Barcelona are well aware that tonight's win (22:00, Channel One) can change their season, and for a moment, form a road to winning the championship

• In a breeze. Real is in trouble at the front

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The Spanish Classic is always an important game, but what emerges from the two coaches' press conferences for tonight's meeting in Bernabeu is that the current Classic is not just important, but very important.

"We come to the game in a very sensitive situation," Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane admitted, "but we have to be positive to change the dynamic." Barca coach Kika Stein who will guide his first classics said: "This game is of special importance because winning can give us a significant gap at the top. If we have a very important game, then Real is a very critical game."

One of the big puzzles for the first classic of the decade is how Real's condition became critical. Until recently, the Blancos were in a 21-match unbeaten streak, as steady as a rock, but without any notice, that sequence was replaced: one win in five games, three of them lost, eliminated from the Cup, lost first place and surrendered 2: 1 to Manchester City in Barnabau. In the eighth Champions League final.

Zidan. "Prophet heart, head and unity" // Photo: IP

This sequence of games highlighted offensive issues such as Karim's sudden dreariness and lack of sharpness on the front, along with defensive issues that did not pass on any of the backbone members who have removed ten balls from the net in the last five games. Perhaps because trouble came in bundles, Zidane was less concerned with professional matters such as Tony Cross's combination of Mariano's composition and inclusion on the roster, settling on the promise: "We will bring a game of heart, head and unity. This is the mood for all of us here."

Soares: "I would bring a new striker long ago"

For Barca, the results may be better, Lao Messi returned to scoring goals (in the league) and her first place in her table again, but all of these fail to hide players' dissatisfaction with their superiors. The 1: 1 draw in Naples left the ticket for the Champions League quarter-final in Barca's hands, but it also left it with questions about building the roster, which became thinner after the match against the Italians.

"If it was up to me I would have brought in a new pioneer a long time ago," said the injured Luis Suares, who joined in a similar criticism voiced by Gerard Pique and Sergio Boscets in recent days. Jordi Alba’s return to the roster and the fact that Pique is also eligible for tonight’s game is good news for Barcelona, ​​but the feeling is that this flimsy roster will have a hard time lasting. "We're working on things and trying to get better all the time," Stein emphasized, with two wins, two draws and four losses against Real Madrid in his previous sets.

Stein. "Real is a critical game" // Photo: AFP

Jorge Valladano, a former Real Madrid player, defined the match tonight as "CARRERA DE COJOS" and his intention is clear. These real and Barca are nothing like what they were a few years ago, everything goes hard for them, they are unimpressive, have problems and fail to produce the strengths that characterized them. Both seem to be seeking the formative game, the one that will take them on a new path, and history proves that it is no good for Classico to do so. Therefore, tonight's game is not only important, it is very important. critical.