Hommam Al Nassim 
Barcelona will visit Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday in La Liga.
This clash is the last chance for Barcelona, last season’s defending champions, to reduce the gap against Real Madrid, where the Royal Club leads the standings with 78 points, 8 points ahead of rivals Barcelona.
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said, “We will be very close to the title if we succeed in winning,” noting that his team is playing “against a very competitive opponent,” considering the Clasico match “a very competitive and balanced match.”
For his part, Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez confirmed that Sunday’s meeting is “the most important in the season” for the Catalan club, and the last chance to save his season, after exiting the Champions League against Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-finals.
Hernandez added that he has great respect for Real Madrid, who have lost only one of their 31 games, and “their statistics are exceptional”.
Real Madrid had snatched qualification for the semi-finals of the Champions League against Manchester on penalties 4-3, after the end of the original and extra time with a positive draw with a goal for the same, in the match that brought them together at the “Etihad” Stadium.
It is noteworthy that the number of confrontations between Real Madrid and Barcelona amounted to 254 official matches in all competitions, in which Real Madrid won 104 times, in contrast to Barcelona won 100 times, and drew in 50 meetings.
Barcelona seeks the possibility of requesting a rematch for the Clásico