Pride main issue in Barca-Madrid 'Clasico'

FC Barcelona have already won this seasons Liga Santander and the Copa del Rey, while Real Madrid qualified for their third consecutive Champions League final on Tuesday night, but that shouldn't take too much sting out of the 'Clasico' between the two historical rivals in the Camp Nou on Sunday night.

Although this game is far from the title decider it was probably intended to be when LaLiga announced the fixture list last summer, there is still plenty of pride at stake for both sides, while Barcelona have their sights set on a new record of going an entire league campaign without tasting defeat.

Going back to the end of last season Barcelona are unbeaten in their last 41 league matches, extending the previous best of 38 which had been held by Real Sociedad and with Spain debating whether it is better to win a domestic double or to sacrifice domestic success in search of a European crown, it would help Madrid's argument if they could end Barca's record breaking run.

Barca go into the game with a 15-point lead over Real Madrid and the fact is that after they thrashed Zinedine Zidane's side in the Santiago Bernabeu 3-0 just before Christmas, the league was over as a contest for Madrid.

Although Real Madrid supporters will say Europe is the biggest prize (and they may be right), it is still a failure for Real Madrid that they have failed to compete domestically against Barcelona despite having a stronger and better balanced squad..

Barcelona in contrast gave everything in domestic competition and paid for that when a visibly tired side lost 3-0 to Roma in the Champions League semi-finals. That defeat showed the limitations of a squad that is expensive but where too many players have shown they are not good enough for Barca, leaving coach Ernesto Valverde with a core of around 12 or 13 dependable players to base the season around.

Whoever wins therefore on Sunday will be able to make the claim they are the best side in Spain, although the league table should make that perfectly clear as it is.

There are other moments to think about in the game: one of which is that it will be Andres Iniesta's last Clasico before leaving Barcelona at the end of the season. The midfielder will make an emotive appearance in the game, but it will probably be from the substitutes' bench after problems with his calf muscle during the week.

Meanwhile Rafael Varene is an injury worry for Real Madrid, giving a chance to Jesus Vallejo to partner Sergio Ramos, while Nacho Fernandez returns after a month out with a calf injury to cover for the injured Dani Carvajal at right back.

Casemiro will probably return for Mateo Kovacic in central midfield, while Gareth Bale has a chance of replacing Tuesday night's hero, Karim Benzema in the Real Madrid attack alongside Cristiano Ronaldo.