'El Clásico' Real Madrid vs. Barcelona: Will everything depend on the referee?

(Baonghean.vn) - Real Madrid is currently 11 points behind Barcelona before the El Clasico match on December 23rd. This is the third time "Los Blancos" have been more than 10 points behind their arch-rivals before the Clasico at the Bernabeu.

In the 2012/13 season, Real Madrid under Jose Mourinho entered El Clasico as the most desperate pursuers in history, trailing their arch-rivals Barcelona by 16 points. Prior to that, "Los Blancos" were 13 points behind Johan Cruyff's Barca in the 1990/91 season. In both of those seasons, the Catalan team won the La Liga title.

The media is getting increasingly heated.

Referee Sanchez Martinez was also the focus of attention. Photo: Internet

Barcelona's demolition of Deportivo, extending their lead to 11 points, has narrowed Real Madrid's chances of overtaking them more than ever (Real still have one game in hand). A draw or a loss in the 236th El Clasico would force Real to relinquish their "throne" to their rivals. In other words, only a victory against Barcelona will allow "Los Blancos" to close the gap and keep their hopes alive.

Before coach Valverde's team visits Real Madrid's Bernabeu in the 17th round of La Liga, they have a record of 13 wins, 3 draws, and 42 goals scored, conceding only 7. Stopping Valverde's squad is indeed a very difficult task, especially with Barca having just welcomed back midfielder Andres Iniesta in the match against Deportivo last weekend.

Barcelona's 4-0 victory over Deportivo was the perfect warm-up for El Clasico. Players like Paulinho, Andres Iniesta, Leo Messi, and Luis Suarez all performed exceptionally well. They had 23 shots on goal, 11 of which were on target.

Currently, the Argentinian striker is incredibly prolific in El Clasico matches. Messi is the greatest goalscorer in El Clasico history with 24 goals, including 16 in La Liga, 6 in the Super Cup, and 2 in European competitions. Meanwhile, Ronaldo has only scored 3 goals against Barca at the Bernabeu and 3 in La Liga this season.

Christmas gifts

As usual, Messi and Ronaldo clashed verbally before El Clasico. Photo: Internet

In La Liga, Real Madrid still has a reputation for benefiting from refereeing decisions. Last season, the Royal team won the title amidst heated controversies stemming from refereeing decisions. Even Barcelona's central defender Pique once accused Los Blancos of receiving at least 10 points in favor of referees in matches against Villarreal, Malaga, Celta Vigo, and others.

As for Barcelona, ​​it seems they are being unfairly treated by the referees. In round 13 of La Liga, during the match against Valencia, the referee unjustly disallowed a perfectly legitimate goal by Messi. In the recent match against Deportivo, Luis Suarez also had a clear goal disallowed by the referee when his shot crossed the goal line.

Rumors have resurfaced after La Liga announced that Sanchez Martinez, considered a "lucky charm" for the white-shirted team, will be the referee for the upcoming Real Madrid vs. Barcelona match. This will be the second time Sanchez Martinez has had the honor of officiating the El Clásico. His first time refereeing the clash between the two teams was the second leg of the 2017 Spanish Super Cup, also at the Bernabeu. In that match, Real Madrid won 2-0 thanks to goals from Asensio and Benzema, thus defeating Barcelona 5-1 on aggregate.

This has raised suspicions among Barca fans, while the Bernabeu crowd may receive a Christmas present from this referee.

N@T