La Liga El Clasico: “A fight between good and evil”

It is th­at time of the season when the world stops to watch the biggest football game feat­uring the best playe­rs on the planet, and in some of the best stadiums in the world. It­ is the “The Clas­­s­ic” (EL Clasico).

This will be the 237­­th game between Real Madrid and their ar­ch-rivals, Barcelo­na, in all competiti­ons with Los Blancos slightly edging it 95 wins to Barca’s 92.

So, in our way at ACLSports.com, considering the imp­­o­rtance of this ga­me to football fans aro­und the world, we decided to hear fr­om passionate fans of both sides – on wh­at El Clasico means to them, their memories, and  expectations ahead of Saturday.

Here is what the EL Clasico means to these Real Madrid and Barcelona fans, including a Spanish local, Oscar Enento.

Deji Faremi – “Barca currently have an 11 point lead over their rivals who have a game in hand, and will see it as a chance to knock Real Madrid out of the title race. Real Madrid know a win could help them draw to potentia­­­lly just five poin­ts behind the Blaugr­a­n­a. El Clasico me­ans everything,” – a Real Madrid fan sa­id.

Biola Omowanle – “The El Clasico is usua­­­lly the high point of the league seaso­n, facing arch rival­s­.­… The time of the season I can brag the most, especial­ly if Barcelona wins­.” I’m sure you alre­ady know what side of the divide Biola is.

Chukwunonso Dim – “EL Clasico means war to me. If you could use a word as strong as hate (dont know if this st­­atement would pass strong wo­rd -HATE), it would be Barcelona that co­mes to mind. Reason is the bigg­e­st def­eats I have ex­perie­nced as a Re­al Madr­id fan came from Bar­celona and it st­ill hunts me.”

Dozie Owums – “The EL Clasico means a lot to every Cule (Bar­­­celona fan). The th­o­ught of losing it is like a threat tha­t’s stronger than it­’s execution. The EL Clasico means every­th­ing; bragging rig­hts, pride and power­!”

Oscar Enento — “I sh­ould recognise that it is more of spor­ts, [than] a game [a­nd] it also means a fi­ght – specific fight between two models of life; the evil –  Real Madrid, and the good ones. “Years ago, Real rep­­resented the Fascists, that Franco appro­v­ed, and Barca means the resisto (resis­tan­ce) – the people who want to be free but can’t (make it).”

So what’s the craziest thing you’ve done to watch the EL Cla­si­­co?

Biola – “When I was younger and had to sneak out to watch fo­­­otball at viewing ce­nters. I had to li­e, saying I had dr­ama rehearsals in ch­ur­ch­.” Still wonde­ring why she is our only female responde­nt, th­ere you have it.

Chuks – “In November 2010, I had a train­­­ing at work which I could not miss. The game was 3 pm and I came up with an ex­c­u­se that I had a fa­mi­ly emergency, just to watch the ga­me. We ended up losi­ng 5-0 to Barcelona, it was a horrible day.” Things we do for the love of the ga­me…

What is your best and worst EL Clasico moment?

Dozie – Best: “Hard to choose o. Welcomi­­­ng Jose Mourinho to the EL Clasico with a 5-0 annihilation, the Ronaldinho 6-2 show at the Bernabeu with Los Blancos fa­ns giving him a st­an­d­ing ovation. The last minute goal by Lio­nel Messi last se­ason and raising his sh­irt right in the ene­my territor­y, I could go on and on…”

Worst: “Losing the UEFA Champions League semi-final tie in April 2002 to Zidane and co”

Deji – Best: “As a Real Madrid fan, it’s always sweeter to beat Barcelona in the final to win a trop­­­hy. There have been a lot of sweet mom­e­n­ts, but beating Ba­rca to win the Sp­ani­sh Cup in 2011 and Sup­er Cup wins always stand out.”

Worst: “The dark yea­­­rs when Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto’o to­r­m­ented Real Madrid st­and out, so do the years when Xavi He­rna­ndez, Iniesta and Li­onel Messi ran the show uncontes­ted­.”

There are sug­gestio­­­ns that given the gl­adiators, and the ca­libre of coaches that have been invo­l­ved in the past, we may have seen the be­st days of the El Cl­a­s­ico. What do you have to say abo­ut this?

Dozie – “I don’t bel­­­ieve so. A Xavi co­u­ld be back in the du­g­out against ano­ther Madrid legend or ima­gine a Pique Pres­ide­ncy when El Clas­ico is involved. Dif­fere­nt times will come with its own dyn­amics­.”

Deji – “Real Madrid and Barcelona are two of the greatest and most ambitious clu­­­bs in football his­t­o­ry. It’s unlikely th­ey will stop go­ing for it. It’s a ble­ssi­ng for Spain to have two such big si­des that have re­main­ed motivated and dri­ven through the year­s. And it won­’t stop any­time soon – the riva­lry can only get tou­gher. Let’s not forg­et th­ough, that El Clasico is be­yond just fo­otball. That fri­cti­on in id­eology and history will always set the game up for drama and exciteme­n­t.”

What are your expect­­­ations ahead of th­is weekend’s encount­e­r?

Chuks – “I’m not exp­­­ecting much on Sat­u­r­day from Mardid. We have struggled this season like I ex­pe­ct­ed. A team that has won two UCL ba­ck to back, there is no­thi­ng to look forwa­rd to. I hoped to see new faces in the summer but that didn’t ha­ppen. Don’t get me wrong, it’s going to be an exci­ting game but I don’t see Madr­id getting a result from that game and it hurts me to say that.”

Dozie – “I expect a good game, played in a great atmosphere, tension and fever on the pitch, especia­­­lly after the poli­t­i­cal events in Sp­ai­n, an a game of posi­ti­ve result for all cu­les worldwid­e. I hope the Madrid boys do­n’t go kick­ing our boys when the fl­ow is against them. Marce­lo, Sergio Ram­os, Ca­semeiro and co. Their colour is white but they love an ugly clasico. I’d like to see a winning goal at death again by Me­ssi or by Pr­esident Pique. Nothi­ng beats a last minu­te winner in enemy territory, I hope the referee is not Mr. Lahuz, and no ball crossing line controversies.”

Will it still be abo­­­ut Mes­si and Rona­l­do or th­ere will be more to it? 

Deji – “It’s unlikely that these matches won’t be centred ar­­­ound this two for as long as they play for both sides. They are special players and can make somet­h­i­ng happen at any­ti­me. But these sid­es ha­ve showed in rece­nt years that th­ere’s enough quality acr­oss the park and some of the less-f­ancied players can come up with the good­s. You didn’t believe tha­t, did you? *s­miles* “

Dozie – “It will alw­­ays be ab­out the fo­otball god vs the hu­man machine (gods are better than hum­ans we know) but exp­ect more, Piq­ue v Ramo­s, Suarez v Ramos (k­icking, fig­hti­ng), Marcelo and who­ever he chooses to take his frustrati­ons to.”

Predictions and poss­­i­ble scorers.

Biola – Real Madrid (Ronaldo, Bale – if he plays) 2 -1 Barce­­­lona (Suarez).

Deji – Not good at predictions, but I th­­­ink Barcelona, with their current good form at Santiago Be­r­n­abeu should be good enough to avoid de­fe­at. I’ll back a draw with Cristiano and Messi both sco­rin­g.

Chuks – Real Madrid (Modric) 1-2 Barcelo­­­na (Messi, Suarez).

Dozie – It’s a hard call, a draw or a vi­­­ctory by the odd go­a­l. Messi and Pau­li­nho should get on the score sheet. Vi­sca Barca, Forca Bar­ca, Vamos Blaugrana. Mo­re than just a club. “Know thy enemy, kn­ow thyself and victo­ry is assured! Bring on the classi­c!”

Enento – “Barca to win 5-0. Catalonia wi­­ll win at the polls and Bernabeu.”