El Clasico: Clash of Giants Amidst Injury Woes

Real Madrid faces Barcelona in El Clasico with both teams grappling with significant injuries. Xabi Alonso, in his first Clasico as Madrid's coach, is under pressure after a series of mixed results. Despite challenges, Madrid's attack shows promise, while Barcelona struggles with form and an injury crisis.

Real Madrid will host Barcelona for the highly anticipated El Clasico, with the match poised to test both sides severely weakened by injuries. Xabi Alonso, in his first Clasico since replacing Carlo Ancelotti, faces scrutiny after a challenging start, particularly given Barcelona's recent dominance.

Last season, Barcelona delivered a strong performance against Madrid, outclassing them with decisive victories en route to securing the LaLiga and Copa del Rey titles, as well as the Spanish Super Cup. Alonso's tactical experiments so far have shown inconsistent results, exemplified by losses to Paris St Germain in the Club World Cup and Atletico Madrid in LaLiga.

On the other hand, Real's attack remains a beacon of hope, highlighted by the performances of players like Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr. Meanwhile, Barcelona, battling an injury crisis and recent lackluster form, narrowly avoided a third consecutive non-victory against Girona. Key injuries in both squads will likely impact their squads significantly.

(With inputs from agencies.)