4 key battles that could decide Real Madrid vs Barcelona in El Clasico

Real Madrid can take an enormous stride towards another La Liga title on Sunday evening, but they will have to make it past their fierce rivals Barcelona.

Carlo Ancelotti's Madrid currently lead the table by eight points but defeat at the Santiago Bernabeu this weekend would reduce their advantage to five points with six games to play. While a loss at the hands of their Clasico foes would not be fatal, victory would all but seal their crown.

The race may be out of Barcelona's hands but they will want to put some pressure on the capital side. On a personal level, it will be Xavi's final Clasico as Barca boss — well, at least for the time being.

Here are four key battles that could decide a crucial Clasico.

There were contrasting fortunes for Madrid and Barcelona midweek. The former booked their spot in the Champions League semi-final, while the latter dropped out of the competition after capitulating against Paris-Saint Germain, and it was Ronald Araujo who was largely to blame for Barca's demise.

The Uruguayan defender's last-man challenge was met with a deserved red card in Catalonia, with Araujo's rashness proving costly for Barca. He was even dug out by teammate Ilkay Gundogan after the match.

Therefore, the prospect of facing an in-form Vinicius Junior will not be too appetising for the Barca man, who will have his hands full with the Brazilian.

Now playing as a centre-forward under Ancelotti, Vinicius Junior will want to be as direct as possible up against a Barcelona defence short on confidence, and he may get some joy out of the hit-and-miss Araujo. Given he scored a hat-trick against Barca earlier this season, he is certainly one to watch on Sunday.

Despite being just 16, Lamine Yamal has already become integral