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Real Madrid stars butting heads ahead of El Clasico
The Nou Camp awaits a high stakes clash of Spanish giants on Sunday 21:00 local time with eyes on the big prize with La Liga’s conclusion on the horizon. Barcelona are set to assert league dominance with a win assured to crown them champions for a second consecutive season under German manager Hansi Flick in front of their home crowd.
Real Madrid will be looking to put on a strong showing in the midst of the raging turbulence in their locker room after winning the first leg clash 2-1 at Santiago Bernabeu to keep slender hopes of winning the title.
A draw would be enough for Barcelona to clinch their 29th topflight league title Real Madrid are on the verge of a second consecutive season without silverware as they are poised to finish 2nd for a second consecutive season.
Real Madrid
At Real Madrid, a drama filled week dominated the headlines with news coming out about a series of conflicts in the dressing room. Uruguayan midfielder Fede Valverde was apparently hospitalized after a physical altercation with French teammate Aurielien Tchouameni which left him in a critical condition.
Both players were slapped with a hefty fine of 500 000 euros each. Rumours beckon the Frenchman’s exit as imminent because details regarding the clash essentially paint him as the primary instigator. Manager Alvaro Arbeloa maintained a cool head in front of the press insisting that conflicts among players are not foreign in elite football environments, citing an incident during his own playing career where a dressing room confrontation involved a player pulling a golf club to attack their teammate.
Dramatic spectacles are not foreign to the Bernabeu after Spanish manager and legend Xabi Alonso was dismissed from his duties mid-season following a fallout with most of the dressing room who despised his heavily tactic approach and effectively threw him under the bus.
As part of the news that broke out, Alonso’s exit is understood to be part of the dispute between the two midfielders of whom Real Madrid players are divided about the deliberate antics that led to the sacking of the Spanish manager. Alonso’s dismissal followed Carlo Ancelotti’s exit who was favoured by the players for his man-management and less emphasis on tactics.
Hierarchies in the higher structures of Real Madrid are already looking into alternative names for the management position with former coach Jose Mourinho heavily linked with a return. The portuguese manager is currently in charge of Liga 1 side Benfica but he has openly flirted with a return to Los Blancos in the media. The name of Real Madrid legend has been hinted as a possibility to form part of the coaching staff in the possibly imminent incoming tenure of Jose Mourinho.
Overall, Sunday’s clash is an appetizing one for football fans globally as the eyes of many fans around the world will be glued to the screens in what could potentially be a title decider.
