Old Flames, New Fire
Barcelona and Real Madrid meet with José and Ronaldinho facing the clubs that made them, and both sides needing the points for very different reasons.
Third hosts fifth on 8 December, and the table says more about the two clubs than their names do. Barcelona have 28 points from 14 games; Real Madrid, a game fewer, have 22. The visitors' form reads DDDDW, unbeaten but drawing too often, and they sit eighth on expected points, a side whose chances deserve better than their tally. Barcelona are fourth on the same measure, a little ahead of what they have earned.
José, who scored 123 goals in 250 games for Real Madrid, is out of form, averaging 6.3 across his last five. Ronaldinho, 112 goals in 213 for Barcelona, returns with a 7.04 average and tired legs alongside him: Joel and Rıdvan Baran are among several carrying fatigue. Antoni Marcet is missing for the hosts; Sergio Barroso, Scott Crichton and Joel for the visitors. Watch Joel against Samuel Maldonado, and Danijel Sekulić against Eliot Nicholas-French.