It's (again) the game of the year.
Despite the Premier League clash between Liverpool and Manchester City scheduled for the end of the afternoon, this Sunday, the entire football planet - or almost - will be turned towards the opposition between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona scheduled a little earlier. .
Because if it had lost a bit of flavor in recent years, the Clásico has become (very) attractive again.
To discover
League standings
La Liga fixtures and results
Teams back to the fore
First of all, this revival is explained by the return to the forefront of the two teams.
After having gone through a slightly more difficult period in terms of results, particularly on the European scene, following the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo in 2018, Real Madrid, under the leadership of Carlo Ancelotti, have returned to the top of the season. lastly by crushing the Spanish championship and above all by winning the Champions League again, the fourteenth in its history.
Read alsoChampions League: Real Madrid qualified in eighth after a goal in the last seconds
If the trajectory of FC Barcelona is very different, it is still more or less in the same direction.
Faced with one of their - if not the - biggest crises of recent decades, and this at all levels, the Blaugrana have entered a new era after the return to the helm of Joan Laporta, in March 2021 This new dynamic really materialized with the arrival on the bench of the child of the house, Xavi Hernández.
The Spanish technician, well helped by the considerable financial efforts undertaken by his managers on the transfer market, has perfectly reconnected with the traditional principles of the Barcelona game to raise the bar.
And in the space of a few months, the Catalan club has (again) become the
one of the most attractive and dangerous attacking teams in Europe;
even if his results in C1 this season are not entirely consistent with the content of his matches.
Read alsoChampions League: how Xavi made FC Barcelona a real football team
SEE ALSO -
The importance of Karim Benzema in the Clásico
A LaLiga leadership spot at stake
Moreover, if this Clásico is also expected, it is because the sporting stakes are important.
Since the beginning of the season, in this boxing marathon that constitutes the domestic championship, the two teams, which occupy the first two positions in the classification, go blow for blow.
And after the first eight LaLiga recoveries, they are tied on points, sharing (almost) the same record: twenty-two units, with seven wins, one draw and no defeats.
However, due to a much higher goal difference, FC Barcelona is ahead, for the moment, of its Madrid rival.
Read alsoLiga: "Real does not need to sign Mbappé", says former Madrid player Morientes
Thus, this Sunday, it is the place of leader of the classification which is at stake.
But not only, in reality the issue is much broader.
If one of the two formations manages to win, in addition to the three points and the pride of having won this historic match, it will gain a significant psychological advantage over its opponent of the day and direct competitor for the title of champion of Spain.
We could therefore well witness a first major turning point in this 2022-2023 edition of LaLiga.
Read alsoBallon d'Or: "Benzema is one of the favorites to win it, if they don't cancel it, of course", quips Lewandowski
A real breath of fresh air
Also, this Clásico is marked by a real breath of fresh air.
In just over a year, the numbers of Merengue and Blaugrana have been remodeled.
The former welcomed David Alaba, Eduardo Camavinga, Antonio Rüdiger and Aurélien Tchouaméni;
four players, experienced or promising, who should have playing time this Sunday.
The latter have undergone a much deeper transformation with, among others, the arrivals of Eric García, Andreas Christensen, Jules Koundé - who will perhaps be restored -, Franck Kessié, Raphinha and above all Robert Lewandowski. .
Rookies to which we must add Alejandro Balde and Gavi, two nuggets from La Masia who have hatched.
Read alsoMercato: Barça shields its Spanish international Gavi (official)
And at the same time, some regulars of these Real-Barça clashes left - Raphaël Varane, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo, Casemiro, Isco, Gareth Bale for the White House, Clément Lenglet, Antoine Griezmann and Lionel Messi for the Catalan club - others play a little less like Gerard Pique and Jordi Alba.
Suffice to say that a new era is dawning for these two teams and, by extension, for the Clásico.
To experience (no doubt) a historic moment in world football, you will therefore have to be in front of your television set, or your screen, this Sunday afternoon (4:15 p.m.).