With less than 72 hours until El Clasico, it would be safe to say that Wednesday night’s match, albeit important, was an afterthought throughout the city. Cristiano Ronaldo did make his return to the pitch after a ten game, fifty-five day absence while Real is merely a draw away, in a fortnight in Marseilles, from advancing with the top spot in their Champions League group; however, Sunday night’s result will have a much greater bearing on the future of Real’s season.

A draw at the Camp Nou would be considered a success, a result that I would be content with but a win, a win would put Los Blancos four points clear of Barca while crippling the Catalan side’s moral. What will happen on Sunday? I envision a draw. Madrid has showed signs of greatness the past few matches, dominating some of their challengers; nevertheless, their inability to finish (too many 1-0 victories against inferior opponents after creating numerous opportunities) or play a full ninety minutes of first-rate football leaves room for concern. FC Zurich, although greatly outplayed Wednesday night, had the Madrid faithful holding their breath at points towards the end of the match while the Spanish giants were protecting only a one-goal lead. Quality teams, such as FC Barcelona, will ultimately take advantage of such a lack of discipline.

Emotions will be running high in the Catalonian capital on Sunday night for both fans and players alike, if either side can capitalize on said passions than it will set the tone for the rest of the match. Real Madrid has been scoring before the half hour mark as of late, and I believe they will need to do so again if they plan on returning to Madrid with any points. Both teams will be at full strength as Barcelona should have their top two strikers fit for the match, and Cristiano Ronaldo will make his return to the starting lineup Sunday night. A positive result could start to push the catastrophe that was the Copa del Rey out of the minds of Spanish football fans while a loss will bring a plague of critics to Spanish capital. Either way, Sunday’s game, El Clasico, will set the tone for the rest of Real Madrid’s 2009-2010 campaign.