Odds and advice for the La Liga showdown missing Messi and Ronaldo

Barcelona v Real Madrid
Eleven Sports, 3.15pm Sunday

Betting
21-20 Barcelona
13-5 Real Madrid
3-1 Draw

Form
The first Clasico without the injured Lionel Messi or transferred Cristiano Ronaldo since December 2007 will be a strange affair, but there is no doubt the pressure is heavily stacked on the shoulders of Real Madrid manager Julen Lopetegui.

Tuesday's 2-1 Champions League victory over Viktoria Plzen fooled nobody and Lopetegui can consider himself fortunate to still be in a job following a run of one victory in six La Liga matches, with three defeats in the past four.

The latest of those saw Real humbled 2-1 at home by Levante when the only bright spot was Marcelo's thunderbolt that ended their run of 482 minutes without a goal in all competitions.

Barca have not been brilliant themselves but they are top of La Liga and are four points ahead of their arch-rivals following an entertaining 4-2 success over Sevilla which snapped a four-match domestic winless run.

Tactical battle
The Clasico in May 2009 sparked Pep Guardiola's rise to greatness. It was the first time he decided to use Messi as a false nine, and the sensational Argentinian helped himself to a couple of goals in a 6-2 Bernabeu battering that virtually settled the title race.

Don't expect many tactical revelations in this game, however, with Barca settled in a 4-3-3 system that has become well-established under a succession of managers, albeit with minor tinkering.

Lopetegui has stuck to 4-3-3 but Madrid's high defensive line has been exposed consistently and there is usually acres of space in behind left-back Marcelo.

Team news
Messi is missing with a fractured arm, while Barca centre-back Samuel Umtiti has been out since September 26 with a knee injury. Real's regular right-back Dani Carvajal is a major doubt with a calf problem.

Verdict
At some stage Real Madrid will bounce back, but it's hard to bet on that performance coming at Camp Nou, even against a Messi-less Barcelona. The home front three of Philippe Coutinho, Luis Suarez and potentially dribbling demon Ousmane Dembele should push Lopetegui closer to the Spanish archer. Barcelona to win 2-1

Key stats

• There has not been a 0-0 draw in the past 45 Clasicos. The last goalless stalemate came in November 2002.
• Real Madrid have scored on their last 14 visits to Camp Nou.
• Both teams have scored in Barcelona's last seven La Liga matches.
• Barcelona are unbeaten in home La Liga fixtures since Alaves won 2-1 at Camp Nou in September 2016.

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