FC Barcelona's Raphinha revels in his hat-trick, celebrating his fourth goal with teammates against Bayern Munich on Wednesday. — Reuters

Following resounding Champions League victories over German titans Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, Barcelona and Real Madrid are gearing up for an exhilarating LaLiga Clasico on Saturday. The day after Real Madrid staged a remarkable comeback from two goals down to defeat Dortmund 5-2, thanks to a Vinicius Jr. hat-trick, LaLiga leaders Barcelona ended their nearly decade-long winless streak against Bayern with a commanding 4-1 win, powered by Raphinha's three goals.

Both Vinicius and Raphinha have been standout performers for their respective teams this season and are poised to bring a Brazilian flair to Real's Santiago Bernabeu stadium, having passed their toughest tests of the campaign with impressive European wins. Barcelona, leading LaLiga with 27 points, three ahead of Real, are riding high on the stellar performances of their attacking trio: Lamine Yamal, Robert Lewandowski, and Raphinha, who have collectively scored 21 of Barca’s 33 LaLiga goals this season.

Polish striker Lewandowski has netted 12 league goals in 10 games, double the tally of Real's Kylian Mbappe and Villarreal's Ayoze Perez, who are tied for second place in the scoring charts. Teenager Yamal has continued his impressive form from Euro 2024, where he helped Spain secure their fourth European Championship, but Raphinha's all-around contributions under manager Hansi Flick's first season in Spain have outshone his teammates. With nine goals and eight assists in Barca's 13 games across all competitions, Raphinha was the standout player in their two Champions League victories.

Flick praised Raphinha's performance after the win over Bayern, stating, "I never had a player quite like Raphinha. He's a great player, works exceptionally well with the team, always gives his all, and plays with high intensity. He's crucial for us, handles pressure well, and is in excellent form."

While Barcelona have been thrilled with Flick's impressive start, winning nine out of 10 LaLiga games, Real Madrid have maintained their usual consistency under the steady leadership of long-time manager Carlo Ancelotti. Following a near-perfect season that saw them clinch both LaLiga and Champions League titles, Ancelotti has guided Real to four consecutive Clasico wins, including a 4-1 victory in the Spanish Super Cup semi-finals in January and a 3-2 win in LaLiga.

Despite signing Mbappe in the off-season, Vinicius has remained Real's key player, sustaining the form that was instrumental in their last season's success and positioning him as a frontrunner for the Ballon d'Or award on Monday. Ancelotti expressed his confidence in Vinicius's potential win, stating, "Vinicius is going to win (the Ballon d'Or)... he's extraordinary."

With such formidable attacking prowess, injuries could significantly impact Saturday's clash, as both teams will be without crucial defensive players. Real Madrid will be without goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, center-back David Alaba, captain Dani Carvajal, and forward Rodrygo. Barcelona will miss goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen and key defender Ronald Araujo, but Gavi, Frenkie De Jong, and Dani Olmo are expected to be available.

Source link:   https://www.khaleejtimes.com