Barça-Real Madrid, el clasico: the day of Queen Elizabeth's birthday

Today is the day of one of the most expected football matches in the world: Barça-Real Madrid. The first chapter was celebrated on last November, before Christmas time. Six months later, the situation is that the team from the capital of Spains is with a four-point lead at the top, and it is their opportunity to give a final strike to this season championship and show their strenght in the world.

But both teams face this evening's match after two defeats in the Champions League against Chelsea and Bayern Munich. Anyway, El Clásico is still a colossal confrontation, the biggest in world football, but this was the week that seemed to make both teams beatable. Last season scored a 1-1 draw with Barcelona, which had effectively confirmed the Catalans as league champions, however, this year this last game of El Clásico starts with a record of goals at Real with 107 goals and still five games ahead to finish the season. They have equalled John Toshack's Real Madrid of 1989-90, the last legendary Emilio Butragueño-led Quinta del Buitre, which clinched five consecutive league championships. The Clásico will go a long way to deciding if Real can prevent Pep Guardiola's team reaching a fourth successive title.

That 89-90 season, Hugo Sánchez equalled Telmo Zarra's 1950-51 record, scoring 38 goals – every one with a single touch. Cristiano Ronaldo broke Sánchez's record last season with 39. Now he's on 41. Forty-one is the same figure as Lionel Messi. It is sure they will improve that score and make an almost unbeatable new record in La Liga. This is one of the subplots of this evening match: Who will lead the Pichichi charts after this Clásico: Messi or Ronaldo? If we have a look to other figures, we may say that although Ronaldo had worse play in Barcelona, either with Manchester United or Real, he managed to score in the past three Clásicos; Messi has not scored in any of them. Yet Messi has six in six confrontations with Real at the Camp Nou and has scored more against Iker Casillas than any other goalkeeper. It is not just about Messi's goals, though. And it is not just about Ronaldo. Perhaps, the difference between Real and Barça is in the forward side. After Villa's injury, it seems that Guardiola's team is orphan of scorers apart from Messi, but that is not the problem of Real's team. Benzema has 18 in the league. Gonzalo Higuaín has 21. They are the most effective "trident" in history, ahead of Messi, Thierry Henry and Samuel Eto'o, who led Barcelona's 6-2 win at Madrid in 2008-09. Real's goal difference is +78, Barcelona's is +72. On the other hand, Real have been accused of a defensive team in occasions like this evening's match. Actually, there is an option of playing with the famous but uneffective trivote – a three-man defensive midfield and a word laced with negative overtones – in Valencia, Málaga and Villarreal. Some players to make that trivote are Pepe, Marcelo or Coentrao. Will the coach of Real do the same? Will he use the four-point lead as a cushion to attack Barcelona? After all, a draw will almost certainly make Real champions. There will be another battle in the midfield against Lassana Diarra, Xabi Alonso and Sami Khedira, on one side and Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta and Cesc Fabregas on Barça squad. There is also another important subplot on the benches. Mou and Pep have confronted 10 times and the Portuguese has only won once out of ten, just in the Copa del Rey final last year. We have said that a draw is in favour of Real's interests, but it is also true that Spanish League draws are the actual defeats and Real lost last year championship after their 5-0 loss to Barcelona and also because of 0-0 draws with Mallorca, Levante and Deportivo and 1-0 defeats against Osasuna and Sporting Gijón. Barça against Real. Style against Pegada. Pegada means punch. Barça players want to keep the ball, and Madrid players give you the possession and when you lose it, they punch, kill you with several attacks huge scores. Will it be the final result this evening? The answer starts at eight o'clock this evening! THIS IS REAL MADRID'S PUNCH! Ah! There is another topic for today. It's Queen Elizabeth's birthday and remember this year is The Jubilee's Year. Happy birthday, Eli!