La Liga leaders Barcelona escaped with a 3-2 win from Sevilla after what appeared to be a rout at one point turned into a nerve-wracking end to an entertaining match. On the other hand, Real Madrid dismantled Athletic Bilbao 5-1 to keep the pressure on leaders Barca with one point separating both sides. The title’s destination will be decided next weekend when the Catalans host Valladolid and Los Galacticos travel to play Malaga with two sides expected to win convincingly against the struggling sides as Valladolid and Malaga are fighting for survival with clubs placed 18th and 16th respectively in the league.

Despite the two clubs being at risk of relegation the firepower of Barca and Los Galacticos along with their defensive line ought to be more than capable of seeing off the two strugglers. The Catalans will once again rely on the goals and inspiration of Lionel Messi who opened the scoring against Sevilla while Los Blancos will look to their record signing Cristiano Ronaldo to provide the goals and added impetus to the club’s attack. Ironically, the Portuguese star also opened the scoring for Real and the two stars have duelled in the last two season over individual honours while this season has seen them go head-to-head on two occasions and compete over la Liga title.

Both title challengers are firing on all cylinders with Barca putting behind their disappointing Champions League exit at the hands of Inter to dismantle Villarreal 4-1 and record a precious 3-2 win against Sevilla while Real inflicted the third home defeat on Mallorca in convincing manner following a 4-1 romp. While Los Galacticos have the best attack led by Ronaldo and Gonzalo Higuain who have combined for an impressive 51 goals in the league, Barca have the league’s best defensive record and their star player Messi has managed to score 31 la Liga goals.

The fact Real are still within a point of Barca is quite remarkable considering the Catalans have taken the six points from their two duals in El Clasico this season. Next weekend will witness the crowning of the league champions and it would be hard to bet against the Catalans retaining their title considering their stunning home form and the weak attacking record of the visitors who have scored a measly 37 times to rank as one of the league’s weakest attacking sides. Likewise, Los Galacticos will unlikely face difficulty in overcoming a Malaga side with 15 defeats in the current campaign and suffering from inconsistent form at home.

The title will go down the wire but unless Valladolid can spring a shocking result then the destination of the winner will be a mere formality as Barcelona will likely end up winning the match and celebrating a second consecutive la Liga championship at the Camp Nou.

Los Galacticos were able to defeat Valencia 2-0 courtesy of their two top scorers Gonzalo Higuain and Cristiano Ronaldo. Real Madrid have been heavily dependent on the duo to deliver the goals and achieve victories. When the two are having a relatively subdued match, Real tend to struggle as witnessed against Barcelona.

With the win Los Galacticos have cut the gap with Barca to a single point. Barcelona were able to manage a draw against Espanyol despite having a player sent-off. Dani Alves was given his marching orders after receiving two yellow cards. Barca have to play Inter in the Champions League and this could cause extra distractions for the Catalan club.

The remaining fixtures for both clubs reveal a tougher schedule for Barca because the Catalans have to travel to play both Villarreal and Sevilla while Real’s toughest match will be away to Mallorca. Can Ronaldo and Higuain help Los Galacticos stage a comeback after the disappointing El Clasico to claim la Liga title? The title is still Barca’s to lose and if Lionel Messi and Xavi Hernandez play to their best then it would be hard to see the Catalans throw away the title even with the tricky remaining schedule.

The titans of Spanish football will face off next weekend at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu in the traditional El Classico which will carry an even greater importance this time because it could decide the league title’s destination. The two clubs are tied on top of la Liga with the same number of points but Los Galacticos are one goal ahead in terms of the goals scored and conceded differential.

Barca have the stronger defensive line while the hosts who are led by record signing Cristiano Ronaldo have the better offensive record. While some might see this clash as a duel between Ronaldo and Barca’s Lionel Messi, this is far from the accurate truth as Los Galacticos have Gonzalo Higuain in their ranks and he is the club’s top scorer with 23 goals to Ronaldo’s 17. In Barca’s case Messi might be the star who is on a level above everyone else but his teammates have a crucial role and their contribution cannot be underestimated. Messi might be the top scorer in la Liga with a stunning ratio of 26 goals in 27 matches and he has provided 9 assists, but midfielder Xavi Hernandez and full-back Daniel Alves have both given 7 assists this season. Swedish star Zlatan Ibrahimovic has contributed 15 league goals including the important winner in the match between the two earlier this season.

Real Madrid have won all 15 of their home games so how will Barca cope with that and can they be the first to at least force a draw in Madrid? One key element for Barca will be how long their defenders can hold Real Madrid’s offensive weapons, particularly Ronaldo, in check. The responsibility will fall on the shoulders of club captain Carles Puyol who will have to lead the back-line by example and keep an eye on not just  on goal scorers Ronaldo and Higuain, but also be aware of the danger posed by Kaka, Xabi Alonso, Marcelo and Rafael Van der Vaart who all have at least 5 assists or more.

On the other hand, Los Galacticos will rely on home court advantage having won all their games at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu in la Liga as well as the marquee players mentioned above. In addition, the Real Madrid defenders will also play a massive role since they will have to contain not just Messi but Swedish striker Ibrahimovic, midfielders Xavi and Andres Iniesta among others. This is shaping up into a clash of epic proportions and the supporters of the beautiful game will be hoping for a spectacle filled with goals and punctuated by fair play.

For the fans of either club the focus will be on achieving victory in order to push ahead with the drive for the Spanish title. Barca would like to retain their crown while Real Madrid are hoping to justify all their spending which reached stratospheric proportions. To some it might be  just about Ronaldo versus Messi but who will be celebrating at the end of the match could very well depend on the contribution of their teammates.

Brazilian star Kaka joined Los Galacticos from Milan prior to the start of the season in a staggering €68 million deal with is astronomical by all means. Real Madrid did pay more for Cristiano Ronaldo but that does not change the tremendous amount spent by Los Galacticos to acquire the services of the San Siro icon.

At one point this season, Kaka admitted he was relieved Ronaldo was signed for a higher fee as he was struggling to adjust to Spain’s la Liga. The Brazilian has still not hit stride and he seems to be having some difficulty blending in with the rest of the squad on the pitch. While with Milan he was at the fulcrum of the club’s attacking moves and he did not shy away from leading the club to glory in the Champions League in 2007. Kaka has won every major trophy available for football player and at 27-years-old he still has several years left in his tank.

Unfortunately for the talented player his move to Madrid has not met the expectations of the club and supporters. There were rumours linking him with a move back to Italy to Serie A’s fallen giants Juventus during the previous week and prior to that speculation landed him a potentially shocking return to Milanello.

He has scored three times in 14 appearances in la Liga as Los Galacticos trail Barcelona in la Liga standings while he did not feature in the failed Copa del Rey campaign. Kaka has the rest of the season to excel in both la Liga and the Champions League but the question remains whether he is comfortable playing for the club or if he would prefer a move away from Madrid? It is unlikely the Brazilian will admit he is unhappy or seeking a move because it will be seen as a failure. Only time will tell what Kaka’s next move will be.

It is mouth-watering just to imagine a match featuring the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Xabi Alonso and Karim Benzema taking on an opposing team which includes Lionel Messi, Thierry Henry, Xavi Hernandez and Zlatan Ibrahimovic to name just a few.

The dream of many football fanatics has come true following a spending frenzy by Los Blancos which included the record signing of Portuguese Ronaldo from Manchester United. The club obviously made other big name signings and also fortified its defense with the hope of challenging the Catalan club for honours both in Spain and Europe.

Barca did not hold back and retaliated by capturing Inter’s Ibrahimovic though that came at a steep price. Inter received star striker Samuel Eto’o in return in addition to a hefty payment for the Nerazzurri. The proud Catalan club still has plenty of weapons upfront besides the famous names mentioned above. Andres Iniesta has become an integral cog in the team’s free-flowing approach and often contributes with decisive balls from midfield while young striker Bojan Krkic is beginning to emerge as a threat. Krkic’s playing time will still be limited with the presence of Henry and Ibrahimovic yet he is sure to get regular cameo appearances under Coach Josep Guardiola’s stewardship.

Barca’s strengths are not limited to the frightening forward lineup or the midfield’s flair and solidity but also the defense’s compactness under the leadership of Carles Puyol. While Xavi and Iniesta supply the attackers with the ammunition to score goals, the energetic Yaya Toure supports the defense and covers the space left by the midfielders roaming forward. Captain Puyol marshals the defense and has found an able deputy in the form of Gerard Pique.

As for Los Galacticos, Kaka and Ronaldo pull the strings from midfield and move forward to support Captain Raul and French striker Karim Benzema. Behind them former Liverpool star Alonso ensures the team ticks like a well-oiled machine while Mahamadou Diarra recovers plenty of balls, breaks up opposition moves and offers cover for the defense. Iker Casillas remains a trustworthy goalkeeper between the posts and often performs incredible saves while Raul Albiol and Alvaro Arbeloa were brought in to strengthen the defensive line.

Real Madrid was not able to lure French International and Bayern Munich star Franck Ribery leaving club President Florentino Perez visibly disappointed. While Barcelona appears to be more of a solid, free-flowing and united team, Los Blancos have yet to mesh together and are still reliant on individual talents and flashes of brilliance from stars such as Kaka.

So the question for La Liga and all football fans is probably best summed up in this question: Would you pick a cohesive yet very talented team like Barca or will you bet on Real Madrid winning titles through the contributions of the individual superstars? It is Barca’s impressive talent working for the collective good in a face-off with Real’s awfully talented superstars who are still relying on their skills to gel into a successful team.

Both Kaka and Ronaldo achieved success with their previous clubs but they have not played together prior to this season and Los Blancos have not won in Europe for a long time. On the other hand, Barca have won a historic treble last season and probably have the best player in the world at the moment in the shape of Leo Messi.