Real Madrid simply have to beat Barcelona today to keep their floundering title hopes alive.
The reigning champions currently sit 11-points behind their fierce rivals – although they do have a game in hand. But a loss today would see the gap widen even further ahead of the winter break.
The good news for Real is that Cristiano Ronaldo appears to have rediscovered his scoring touch and has scored in each of his last four games. The bad news is that Barcelona have been in sensational form this campaign, contrary to all predictions. They are undefeated in the league and thrashed Deportivo de La Coruña 4-0 last time out.
Join us for build-up, minute-by-minute coverage and all of the reaction and fallout.
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CHANCE BARCELONA!
That's as close as the visitors have come to scoring and it needed Keylor Navas to be at his best.
A little change of pace and a smart through ball by Messi helps Paulinho into a great position but Navas' stop is huge.
Madrid counter and Ronaldo has a good effort saved by Ter Stegen - maybe this cool encounter is hotting up now?
Here is how Real Madrid have looked to shut down Barca's play so far - a Croatian duo man-marking Barcelona's Iniesta-Busquets axis.
The most likely team to score still appears to be Real Madrid - partially because it's difficult to trust Barcelona's high defensive line.
Watch now as Barca embarrass me by netting the opener...
And they weren't far off! Paulinho - the dangerman(!) for Barcelona so far - pops up in the box and his smart near-post header forces Navas into a low save.
Corner Barcelona.... cleared by Madrid but Messi ends up with the ball, shifts it wide to Suarez who crosses but only to a near-post Casemiro who really clears this time for the hosts.
POST!
Real Madrid build up more patiently this time and it's Marcelo who swings a cross over, allowing Karim Benzema to get across Vermaelen and glance a near-post header that has Ter Stegen beaten... but can't creep inside the back stick.
That is as close as we've come to a goal. And it was very close.
Viva España sings the Bernabeu, unsurprising given the political context, but just as they do so they are overpowered by the referee whistling for half-time.
0-0 at the break, a first half that rarely burst into a gallop but one that has enough potential to.... or so we hope.
Half-time thoughts:
- Rafa Benitez lost his job for playing two defensive midfielders at home in a must-win clásico - so what's Zidane's excuse...?
- Paulinho is Barcelona's biggest goal threat and lumbering Luis Suarez is offering very little.
- Ronaldo had a goal disallowed and air-kicked the best other chance he was presented with. Benzema went closest otherwise, clipping the post.
- Vermaelen's yellow card feels like it might come back to haunt him.
This is one of those games where, because of the enormous importance placed upon it, you feel both teams have schemed more to prevent the other from doing anything than what they can produce themselves.
All of the gameplanning appears to have been a success in terms of nullifying their opponents but, at some point, they need to work out how to exploit the other's weaknesses.
Perhaps it will come down to Real Madrid's biggest strength - their strength in depth - as they bring Bale, Asensio and/or Isco off the bench?
The teams are coming back out. I'll grab a drink and then we're ready to roll again
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