For the first time in nearly 11 years, El Clasico will feature neither Lionel Messi nor Cristiano Ronaldo. That's big enough news to kill the fixture even before the kick-off.
But their absence present opportunities to other players, and both the sides have their respective ensemble of stars, like Philippe Coutinho, Luka Modric, Gareth Bale, etc.
Rightly so, Barca coach Ernesto Valverde has downplayed the absence of Messi and Ronaldo from Saturday's El Clasico duel at Camp Nou.
Messi has a fracture in his right forearm and is set to miss the next five matches, while Ronaldo moved from Real Madrid to Juventus over the summer.
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"Before Ronaldo and Messi, there were already Clasico matches, there were already great players, there was tension...El Clasico is always El Clasico," Valverde asserted at a press conference.
Although the Spanish coach acknowledged that playing without Messi is different because some mechanisms must be changed, he stressed that his players have the right mentality to fight without their Argentinian captain.
Valverde also said he was counting on fired-up Barca fans to win the home game, saying "We know the fans will be switched on, supporting us from the first minute. With our support, we will be stronger."
As of Matchday 10, Barcelona holds the top spot in the Spanish league standings with 18 points, ahead of Espanyol on goal differential, while Real Madrid is in seventh place with 14 points.
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However, Valverde warned that "The more wounded Real Madrid are, the more dangerous they are. They have the quality to come back and they are a great team."
The Spaniard also ruled out Real Madrid's poor start this season as a big factor in El Clasico, saying "They are games that are played from many points of view. We are coming off the back of two good performances and we are looking at El Clasico to round off a great week."
Valverde affirmed that he had already chosen his starting lineup, although he gave no clues about whether he will repeat the same squad that defeated Inter Milan 2-0 in the UEFA Champions League group stage on Wednesday.
In that game, Brazil midfielder Rafinha took Messi's spot in the starting lineup and scored the first goal of the match.
Real coach Julen Lopetegui did not give clues about the starting lineup against Barcelona, as the participation of Real Madid midfielders Isco Alarcon and Marco Asensio was still in doubt.
Real Madrid has had a poor start for Lopetegui's debut season, and media rumors have continued to swirl over his future with the club, but the coach insisted he was only focused on the upcoming game.
"I hope to keep breathing after El Clasico. I do not think I'm going to die, each one has one hundred percent energy and mine is geared towards helping my team as a coach," Lopetegui said at a press conference.
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(With Agency inputs)
