Barcelona have already claimed a double this year. In the past two weeks, the club has been able to both lock up La Liga and win the Copa del Rey for the fourth straight year. Even with the Champions League disappointment, that makes for a pretty successful season.
They have nothing left to play for but pride, but that’s enough of a motivating factor in El Clasico. These two clubs do not like each other and that makes this perhaps the most intense rivalry in European soccer.
Don't miss the Spanish La Liga action from Camp Nou in Barcelona, Spain at 2:45 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 6, 2018. Catch every moment of the match live on beIN Sports.
La Liga Betting Odds at BookMaker.eu
Real Madrid +347
Barcelona -148
Draw +336
Over/Under 3.5
Odds Analysis
Real Madrid is looking to make history. The only competition the club is still able to win is the most important one, the Champions League. A victory in the Champions League would give the club their fourth Champions League title in five years and cement their legacy as one of the best teams in the history of club soccer.
With that much at stake, you would forgive Real for taking their focus off of La Liga. Yet the club has performed well domestically. They have not dropped a match since late February in La Liga and currently sit in third place.
For Barcelona, the goal is to finish La Liga unbeaten. They have yet to be defeated in 34 matches and they have an incredible goal differential of +66.
However, they have come close to losing recently. At the end of March, they seemed set to fall at the hands of Sevilla, but a Luis Suarez goal in the 88th, followed by a Lionel Messi goal in the 89th led to Barcelona salvaging a 2-2 draw.
Last Meeting
When these clubs met at the Santiago Bernabeu right before Christmas, Barcelona grabbed a 3-0 victory. The first half ended scoreless despite a number of good chances, but then the visitors broke through in the 54th minute. Luis Suarez was able to break the deadlock after some nifty passing left him with just the goalkeeper to beat, and then disaster struck for Real Madrid 10 minutes later.
Barcelona was set to double their lead after some more good play and with the ball heading into the net, Dani Carvajal stuck out his hand to deflect it away. It earned Carvajal a red card and gave Lionel Messi a penalty kick opportunity. Messi converted and that essentially salted the game away despite a few good chances for Real Madrid.
Player to Watch
Youngster Achraf Hakimi will be the one to keep an eye on in this match. The 19-year-old has a bright future ahead of him, and he will likely be thrust into the starting line-up again on Sunday. Hakimi has played well when given the opportunity, but he is still incredibly raw. He has only made eight appearances with Real Madrid in his first full season with the team.
Due to Dani Carvajal’s hamstring injury, it looks like Hakimi is likely to receive another start. He has performed well when called upon, but this will be his first Clasico. It will be interesting to see how he fares in trying to stop Barcelona’s attack.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
Both sides are very healthy heading into this match. Zinedine Zidane won’t have to sit players in order to give them a rest due to the lengthy time off, and that should make this another thrilling Clasico.
At this price, Real Madrid is worth a shot. It’s hard to win on the road, but getting Real Madrid as this much of an underdog is too tempting to pass up.
Spanish La Liga Odds: Real Madrid 2, Barcelona 1
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