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Diego Lopez vs Victor Valdes
While the forwards might get all the attention and the plaudits coming their way, the goalkeepers will have an equally important job on Saturday night. Both the men will be protecting their goal against some of the most accomplished players in the world of football and will definitely have to put up a special performance to help their team win.
Barcelona have conceded the lowest number of goals in La Liga and much of this is down to the brilliance of Victor Valdes who is set to bid farewell to the club at the end of the season.
However his opposing number one has performed equally well and has proved with his performances that he is worthy to be playing on top of the iconic Iker Casillas. With Iker not getting a regular run of games, Valdes is in line to replace him in the national team, however Diego Lopez who has only ever played 30 minutes for the Spanish national team will be rearing to make a claim for himself by producing an excellent performance on the biggest stage.
Raphael Varane vs Lionel Messi
It only takes a very intelligent defender to keep Lionel Messi at bay and in young Raphael Varane, Real Madrid have one of the most promising defenders. The 20 year old made his Clasico debut earlier this year in a Copa Del Rey Semi-Final against the Spanish giants at their own backyard. With Madrid missing out on Sergio Ramos and Pepe through suspension and injury respectively, Madrid fans were expecting a battering at the hands of their rivals.
However Varane put all such claims at ease by putting up a performance which was nothing short of master class. The Frenchman hardly ever gave Messi any room to breathe and the Argentinean who boasts a reputation of giving others a torrid time was given a taste of his own medicine. On Saturday the two will reacquaint rivalries and if Varane wants to maintain his reputation he will have to at his very best again.
Gerard Pique vs Cristiano Ronaldo
With the Portuguese keen to regularly cut inside and occupy a more central position it is likely that he will come in regular contact with Gerard Pique often. Even though the Spanish international has been deemed a doubt for the El-Clasico he is likely to feature on Saturday night.
Pique is one of the most disciplined defenders Spain has to offer, even though he tends to be error prone at times the 26 year old has put up a much assured performance this season and appears to be a better defender..jpg)
However his counterpart has managed to make a mockery of Pique on more than one occasion. With his lightening speed Ronaldo can out pace almost every defender in the world and unfortunately for Pique he is not the quickest defender around. Furthermore Ronaldo has been on a ravaging goal scoring run and Pique will be aware that his inability to tame the Portuguese captain will reap colossal effects.
Sergio Busquets vs Isco
Another interesting battle will see two Spanish youngsters against one another. Mesut Ozil now at Arsenal used to pull strings from the middle of the park for Madrid in the past and had been heavily instrumental in all the Clasicos he took part in. Upon his departure the responsibility now rests on the shoulders of an equally talented midfielder. Isco has created quite an impression after making his 30 million euro move to the Bernabeu. Despite his young age the 21 year old has heaps of talent which he will be looking to put on display against Barcelona.
Busquets on the other hand is one of the most important players in the Barcelona line-up and plays a very vital role without making many headlines. His job on Saturday will be to reduce the time Isco gets on the ball in a bid to limit his creativity. The 25 year old has done so in the past against some of the biggest players but should be aware of the fact that Isco can be very difficult to handle when on song.
Dani Carvajal vs Neymar
It remains to be seen whether Carlo Ancelotti will opt for the experienced Arbeloa for the clash against Barcelona, but Dani Carvajal who was rested for the weekend encounter against Juventus is likely to start.
He will be against the trickery of Neymar who has impressed since making his 57 million switch to Camp Nou. Even though the Brazilian has not scored much he is capable of causing a menace in the opposition half and has done so this season on a number of occasions. The 21 year old has been unselfish and has looked to set up his teammates rather than making audacious efforts to score himself. Needless to say young Dani Carvajal who had a blistering run in Germany last season will have to put a performance of a lifetime to keep Neymar at bay.
