Soccer

No Gareth Bale, No Problem for Real Madrid

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By @adamdclifton

Getty Images

Getty Images

Due to an injured buttocks, Real Madrid will be without the services of Gareth Bale against FC Barcelona this weekend. In the first El Clasico of the season, Real Madrid will host their bitter rival at the Santiago Bernabeu in what promises to be another compelling chapter in this historic rivalry. But will the loss of Bale be too much to overcome for Madrid?

Coming into this matchup, Cristiano Ronaldo has been scoring goals at a spectacular rate. Ronaldo has scored a goal or more in 11 of his last 12 appearances. In these 12 games, Ronaldo has hit the back of the net a whopping 19 times. Even without Bale, Ronaldo is more than capable of carrying the goal-scoring responsibilities for this team. If that is not enough offense, Madrid can look to Karim Benzema. He has been rounding into form as of late, scoring six goals in his last five appearances. Although Bale is a dangerous weapon with his blistering pace and incredible left foot, Madrid can be confident with their weapons in attack against Barcelona.

The question for Madrid is, will the squad be able to compensate for the loss of Bale? In order to do so, there is one key player to keep an eye on.

After winning the Golden Boot at the 2014 World Cup, James Rodriguez secured a move to Real Madrid. The Colombian star burst onto the scene with an incredible summer in Brazil, scoring six goals in only five games. However, he has yet to demonstrate this exceptional form in his short time at Real Madrid. Will Rodriguez be able to capitalize on the absence of Bale and announce his arrival as a star for Real Madrid?

On the other side, Barcelona will look to the debut of the controversial Luis Suarez as a source of inspiration for this matchup. Suarez returns after a four-month ban from international soccer, stemming from the infamous biting of Giorgio Chiellini at the 2014 World Cup. It is expected that Suarez will make his first official appearance for Barcelona in this highly-anticipated matchup. However, Barcelona has been playing very well without Suarez. Through eight La Liga games, Barcelona is undefeated. The only blemish on their record is a 0-0 draw against Malaga. Barcelona will look to continue their unbeaten start to the season against Madrid.

The major question for Barcelona is whether Suarez will fit in with his new club? Barcelona can attribute most of their success this season to the growing bond between their two biggest stars, Neymar and Lionel Messi. Last season, it was clear that this dynamic duo needed time to learn how to play together. This has been demonstrated this season, as the two players have combined for 15 goals in only eight games. The two have obviously gotten comfortable playing together and the scoring output proves this. Hopefully for Barcelona, Messi and Neymar will be able to adjust to the addition of Suarez and it will not disrupt their chemistry moving forward.

Under any circumstances, El Clasico is must-watch television. However, the first edition of the classic rivalry this season will be even more exciting due to the addition of Suarez and the loss of Bale. However, it appears that Real Madrid have not missed a beat with Bale on the sidelines, as referenced by their 3-0 thrashing over Liverpool at Anfield on Wednesday. Real Madrid have an abundance of attacking talent and they will need all of it to defeat Barcelona.

Despite winning the Champions League last season, Madrid was unable to win La Liga, due in large part to the defeats in both editions of El Clasico last season. Real Madrid realize if they want to win La Liga, they must perform better against Barcelona. A sense of urgency and home-field advantage will be enough for Real Madrid to be successful in the first installment of El Clasico this season.

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