As Real's 10-point lead in La Liga standings has dwindled down to four over the last several weeks, Barca is the only club with a realistic shot of closing the gap.
If Barcelona wins on Saturday, it will narrow the gap to one point, meaning the pressure of staving off a collapse is all on Real.
Barca midfielder Xavi Hernandez told ESPNsoccernet that he believes the outcome of Saturday's game could very well determine the rest of the race for La Liga title:
The league depends very much on the outcome of this game. We will try to claim the win and move to within a point of the top. We are thrilled that we've been able to reduce the gap from ten points to four.
It's never easy for a dominant team that suddenly can't eke out a win to regain its composure, especially against a team that seemingly can't lose. Barca not only will have home-field advantage on Saturday, but it enters the matchup with the knowledge that the last time these two teams faced off, it walked away with a very impressive 3-1 road win. Xavi tallied a goal in the victory, while Alexis Sanchez had a goal and an assist.
Over the last seven games, Real has been saddled with three draws. Meanwhile, Barca hasn't lost in its last 11 matches. One more win, and Real's lead will be almost gone.
There will undoubtedly be some pressure on Barca as well—knowing the league title is so close could take an unfortunate mental toll—but Xavi said that the team won't change its game plan or philosophy. It will simply do the same thing it's done for the last 11 games, all of which have ended with a W. Xavi told ESPN:
We try to be the protagonists. Madrid have taken various approaches, but we have not changed our style for any match. We always want the ball, to be in charge of the game, to maintain those long spells of possession that help us control the game and, from there, we try to win the match. We can't change the way we play now. We have taken this approach against all of our rivals, and against Madrid at home we will try to do this more than ever—to have more of the ball and attack more than we ever have to secure the victory.
Whether or not Barca comes out with a win, this match will dictate the way the standings shake down for the remainder of the season. If Barca does win, though, it will mark a momentum swing so severe that Real can say goodbye bye to the league title.
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