Indifferent displays leave El Clasico Ronaldo's for the taking

El Clásico can often be billed as a clash of the titans on an individual level, with it easy to draw the contest up as a battle between two of the world’s best players, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, but this time around such a label feels a bit more genuine than sensationalist.

While in the capital, Real Madrid have been defying some sluggish performances by grinding out narrow victories, Barcelona have withdrawn into their shell slightly, with a hoodoo-laden trip to the Anoeta not an ideal prelude to one of the biggest and most defining fixtures of the La Liga calendar.

Luis Enrique’s men may not have suffered a league defeat since early October, but back-to-back draws against nine-man Malaga and then Real Sociedad have knocked their confidence. Sergio Busquets looks out of sorts at the base of the midfield, with Marc-Andre ter Stegen shaky at times in goal. Albeit with a rotated team, the Blaugrana even drew with Hercules in the Copa del Rey.

Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez have been intermittently out of the side of late for both fitness and disciplinary reasons respectively, but Neymar has been unable to shoulder the responsibility alone, with Paco Alcacer still yet to find the back of the net since joining in the summer for Valencia. Last weekend, it was left to a little bit of magic from Messi to grab a point, and something similar might be necessary at Camp Nou.

Only the occasion on Saturday itself is left to inspire the Blaugrana to recently-forgotten heights. Jordi Alba spent the 1-1 draw in the Basque country acting like a petulant child, while the return of Gerard Pique wasn’t the enough to patch up Barcelona’s wounds, as shown by the Spaniard symbolically diverting Willian Jose’s 53rd-minute effort into the ceiling of his own net.

The Blaugrana enjoyed just 47.8% possession at the Anoeta, with Real Sociedad’s high press disrupting their ability to play out through their full-backs, but the worst aspect of the visitors’ show was their mentality. There was no real urgency, save for a couple of five-minute spells, and Eusebio’s men simply wanted possession, second balls and the three points more.

“It will be very difficult to win La Liga like this,” Pique told reporters, and he wasn’t the only one to share that opinion. “You won’t win the league… or even a game playing like that, especially against a team like La Real who press well,” Alba chimed in.

Andre Gomes has been lethargic, while Javier Mascherano has been far more error-prone than would be expected from an experienced leader for club and country. After having a match day off due to suspension, Luis Suarez returned to the fold and turned in a 6.4 WhoScored rating following an anonymous performance.

While Barcelona are running out of excuses for why they just haven’t been good enough in recent weeks, with Enrique the first man to admit that they were lucky to even take a point against Sociedad, Real Madrid keep picking up results despite having considerable selection woes.

Luka Modric and Sergio Ramos are back playing and fully fit for Los Blancos, but Casemiro has only recently got some first-team minutes after a long injury lay-off. Toni Kroos is sidelined with a foot complaint, while Gareth Bale spends some time on the sidelines nursing an ankle issue. Alvaro Morata damaged his hamstring on international duty, leaving Zinedine Zidane with a depleted squad.

Absentees aside, Los Blancos have won their last five consecutive La Liga games, and more recently kept clean sheets against Leganes and Atletico Madrid, dispelling the false assumptions that they couldn’t defend with Casemiro on the treatment table. Mateo Kovacic has been a revelation in the Brazilian’s place, while Lucas Vazquez has always taken first-team opportunities with both hands.

While they will certainly miss the powerful running of Bale down the right-hand side, and the calming presence of Kroos in the middle of midfield, Ronaldo has already shown in recent weeks that he is once again ready to shoulder the pressure and responsibility when called upon. As Karim Benzema extended his scoreless La Liga run to three games last time out, the Portugal international has picked up the slack, scoring seven goals in his last four appearances. Ronaldo narrowly missed out on making it three hat-tricks in four match days versus Sporting Gijon, and will be keen to notch his 500th club goal against one of his favourite opponents.

Eight goals in his last nine El Clasico games at Camp Nou only points to one outcome, while Lionel Messi hasn’t managed to find the back of the net against Real Madrid in his last five competitive encounters with Los Blancos. Something has to give for the Argentine, or a disenchanted Barcelona side could fall further behind in La Liga - something that they can’t afford to do.

Denis Suarez has shared the idea this week that El Clasico decides the outcome of La Liga, but Zinedine Zidane’s men sit six points clear of second-place in the Spanish top-flight and such luxury leaves the Frenchman sceptical.

“Whatever happens, it won’t be decisive,” Zidane explained after his side defeat Cultural Leonesa 6-1 on Wednesday. “It is a good match against a great opponent who will certainly make it difficult for us, and that’s all there is to it. It won’t be decisive, not at all.”

While Zidane is tempering expectation and lowering the pressure on Real Madrid, Barcelona know that the stakes are highest for themselves, with three points a necessity in order to claw their way back towards the league pace-setters. Although it is too early in the season to be a twist-or-bust game, an away victory would make the title Los Blancos’ to throw away, and they haven’t enjoyed their current six-point advantage since the days of Jose Mourinho’s 2012 title.

The fuse is yet to be lit for El Clasico, but the two might need to fumble around in the dark before we get the high-octane contest that we are accustomed to from these two rival giants.