Seven points. Seven massive points. With the way Barca has dominated La Liga in recent seasons it'd be foolish to say the title is returning to the Bernabeu just yet - but it's a very good bet.

My last post focused on Madrid's impressive performance at the Camp Nou in the second leg of their Copa del Rey quarter-final, even though Pep's boys progressed to a semi-final date with Valencia. It focused on the mental strength of Madrid in Catalonia that night. The strength Los Blancos showed despite dominating the first-half and somehow finding themselves 2-0 down. The strength to continue playing well, not letting their heads drop, and coming away unbeaten.

That mental strength seems to be winning the way for Madrid at the moment, and it's having a negative impact on Barca - as shown with three draws on the spin.

"We gave a very good performance. It's a shame really, but feeling we were superior is important." - Xabi Alonso.

Okay, let's first get the negatives out of the way. Madrid are out of the Copa del Rey, the competition they were defending this season after last year's triumph. They bowed out over two-legs against old foes Barcelona, who again bag the bragging rights. For neutrals looking at the scoreline and the headlines, it'll be a case of just another Clasico win for Barca.

It was anything but 'just another win'.

As Xabi Alonso says above, Los Blancos can take plenty from their performance at the Camp Nou. Madrid deserved to win the game. Deserved? Or threw it away? They certainly had the best chances, they certainly had Pep's boys against the ropes late on, and they certainly, for a change, had the heart.

New competition, new personnel, new year. Same old story.

It's difficult to come online after another Clasico defeat at the hands of Barca and try to explain just why Los Blancos are no match for their Catalan rivals, at least in head-to-head competition. I can't begin to imagine what it feels like for Jose Mourinho. A winner. A man who doesn't 'do' losing. Unless it's against Barca. The 'Special One' is very-much second best to Pep Guardiola at the moment and, seemingly, he can do little to change the flow.

After analysing, analysing and analysing the only conclusion is quite simple, and quite hurtful for Madridistas. When the sides meet, Barcelona are simply much better than Madrid. While many, myself included, felt the tide was turning before the Liga Clasico clash at the Bernabeu at the start of December, Pep's boys upped their gear to show they still have a hold over Madrid in Clasico matches, and Wednesday night's Copa del Rey meeting proved no different.

'Copa del Rey is the third target, but tomorrow it will be the first one, because nobody plays to lose. We want two more games in February.' - Jose Mourinho.

There's been much debate over how important the Copa del Rey double-header between Real Madrid and Barcelona will be. Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas says the duel has become "a little decaffeinated" thanks to the frequent nature of their meetings in recent years - Wednesday night's quarter-final first leg clash will be the fourth time the sides have met already this season and the eighth time in less than nine months.

But while some argue that there can sometimes be too much of a good thing, Mourinho's comments in the pre-match press conference hit the nail on the head. Everyone knows the King's Cup is third on the list of priorities for both clubs this season - behind La Liga and the Champions League - but it'll be first on the list of priorities come Wednesday evening at the Bernabeu, especially because the Catalans are in town.

Deep breaths, freeing up of the midweek diary and hard hats at the ready - the next El Clasico instalment is less than a week away. While we all expected to have to wait until late April for the next clash between Madrid and Barcelona, the football Gods have pitted the bitter rivals against each other in a Copa del Rey double header - starting next Wednesday at the Bernabeu.

It'll be the fourth and fifth time the sides have met already this season (after the two-legged Spanish Super Cup and Liga game), and still there's a sixth contest to come in the return Liga fixture at the Camp Nou. Ruling out another double-header in the Champions League is also a big no-no - both Madrid and Barca so far look head and shoulders above the rest in European competition and it'd be a surprise not to see one side needing to beat the other at some stage.

So we're all excited, right? Well, not exactly judging by some feedback I received on Twitter (follow me @nicholasrigg), and some words from Iker Casillas's mouth this week - and who's going to argue with Iker? It seems to be a case of there can sometimes be too much of a good thing.

One dramatic come-from-behind midweek cup win, Iker Casillas has a street named after him, and Real Madrid beat Barcelona. Los Blancos have yet to return to La Liga action following the winter break but the week leading up to Saturday's clash against Granada at the Bernabeu has been anything but quiet.

Okay, so Madrid's 'Clasico' victory wasn't in the football, it was in the basketball. But maybe, just maybe, it'll be a sign of things to come in the second half of La Liga (okay, I admit, it has no bearing at all - we can but hope) as Madrid look to maintain the form that saw them top the table, three points ahead of Barca, going into 2012.

Nothing less than three points will do against the Andalusian side for Jose Mourinho and his men as they look to kick-start 2012 in the league in the same they ended it - with a convincing victory.

It's midway through the season for Madrid...almost. It's the La Liga winter break anyway, and almost midway through the campaign. So with this is mind, it's as good a time as any to do a bit of a 'mid-term' report on Los Blancos so far. You know, the kind you always got at school and usually (in my case anyway), hid from your parents until as late as possible. 'Can do better' was my usual report, probably a bit of a kick up the behind to get me in the right gear for the 'business end' of the school year - the bit that really matters.

The 'bit that really matters' is yet to come for Jose Mourinho and his men, and although some 'kicking up the behind' may be necessary to keep Madrid's forward momentum going, there certainly isn't much of the 'can do better' on this report card. El Clasico, as usual, aside.

It's an A from me. Top of La Liga, comfortable progress in the Champions League and goals galore. The only thing preventing Madrid's report card being an A+ is the slip-up against old foes Barcelona.

Visit the official Real Madrid website this week and you'll see the headline: Mourinho: "We've done very well so far this season". A slightly bland assessment of the campaign, especially for a charismatic man such as Mourinho, but a level-headed and pretty much spot-on assessment nevertheless.

It's been over a week since my last blog update. A decision to let the dust settle on my post-match Clasico post more than anything. And there was plenty dust left to settle, I'm sure you'll agree. It was my intention to post an article on Ronaldo, and his poor performance against Barcelona, and to also have a look at the importance of the game against Sevilla - the final league game before the winter break.

Good job I didn't write that Ronaldo article, eh?!

First thing's first - well done to Barca. It pains me to say it, but after all the hype, all the good football by Madrid this season in the run up to the game, and the apparent below-par performances of the Catalans (poor away form, loss at Getafe etc.), Pep's boys last night showed Mourinho and his men (or should that 'boys' and 'men' be the other way around?) that Los Blancos still have a way to go to catch their bitter rivals. A way to go, but just how far? Not miles, going on last night's showing, and form over the season as a whole so far. Barca fans get the bragging rights, again, but they know the gap's closing, and they know that titles aren't decided in December.

That was the reaction from Guardiola, too, and rightly so. Match details aside, the reaction of both managers after the match highlighted one thing - that although psychologically Barca will have the upper hand, victory for Barca only makes the La Liga title race closer than recent seasons. The post-match press conferences were, by Clasico standards, low key from both clubs. Last night's game was always going to be more important for Barca - victory for Madrid would have put them in pole position for the title. Beating Barca and winning their game in hand would have put them a huge nine points clear - a big gap to close in what's certain to be a two-horse race. As it is now, a win for Madrid in their game in hand would see them regain top spot by three points although Barca do now have the better head-to-head record.

Barca have won the battle, but Madrid can still win the war.

I couldn't resist going on the Barcelona website just now to see their perspective of tomorrow's Clásico. If my internet had hands, I'd make sure they were washed twice over, don't worry about that. On a serious note, clicking on the 'El Clásico' section of their official site points you straight in the direction of Barca's memorable wins against Madrid, and it doesn't make pretty reading for Madridistas, as you'd expect. Of course, we all know history and statistics points to Los Blancos being the more successful of the two Spanish giants, something Barca fans can't argue with. The thing that strikes you is their more recent 'memorable' games - the 5-0 at the Camp Nou last season and the 6-2 at the Bernabeu in 2009.

I won't take anything away from Barca for their successes in those two games, and their trophy successes in recent seasons where they have been, unfortunately, 'top dogs' in Spanish football, in Europe and possibly, the world. What I can take from paining myself on the Barcelona official site is that tomorrow's game is huge, a possible 'tide-turner' in the bitter rivalry between Los Blancos and the Catalans.