Real Madrid dressing out to ‘sink’ Barcelona in El Clasico

Real Madrid were euphoric after their penalty shootout win over Champions League holders Manchester City on Wednesday, as they made their way to the semi-finals. However they will not be carried away with their win, as they zero in on their next target: ending Barcelona’s season.

Despite playing 120 minutes of exhausting football on Wednesday, Los Blancos will not allow tiredness and aches and pains to become an excuse in El Clasico this Sunday, as they look to put the cherry on the cake of a brilliant week. Relevo say that they are relishing the chance to all but wrap up the title race against their arch rivals, widening the gap to 11 points with just six games left to go with a win. It would also send Xavi Hernandez packing with nothing to show for his final season as manager, and mark trophy-less year fro Barcelona.

Beyond the morbo, there is a practical element to doing so too. Beating Barcelona would allow Real Madrid to shift all of their focus to their Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich, a little under two weeks away. It would give them the luxury of being able to rest and rotate around those games.

Certainly it looks as if things are in their favour to do so. Barcelona are trying to pick themselves up after a defeat to Paris Saint-Germain destroyed morale and momentum, in what looks like Xavi’s last stand on Sunday. The reverse fixture was tight, but Los Blancos dominated the Spanish Supercup final, blitzing Barcelona in a 4-1 win.