DID YOU KNOW?
This will be Barcelona’s 220th game in Europe’s premier club competition. In total, the Catalans have won 125, drawn 52 and lost only 42.
Against Real Madrid in European competition, they hold the upper hand thanks to last week’s victory – winning three of their seven encounters and drawing two.
In this season’s competition, Barca have top scored with 26 strikes, and along with Madrid they have the best goal difference of the sides left in the competition, boasting +19.
Lionel Messi needs only one more goal to equal Ruud van Nistelrooy’s record of 12 in a single Champions League season; the Argentine has registered 11 times, including a brace in the previous matchday.
Pep Guardiola’s men have been caught offside on 41 occasions in the Champions League this term – only Chelsea (42) have a greater tally.
No team has managed more shots at goal than Real Madrid in Europe’s top competition. They’ve mustered 171 in total.
Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo are tied top scorers for the Bernabeu club on the continent this season; both have six goals.
Ronaldo has had more shots than anyone else. Of the Portuguese’s 53 efforts, only 24 have been on target. Messi is second in this statistic, but of his 42 strikes, 28 have made the goalkeeper work.
Mesut Ozil is the top assist-maker in the competition, having created six goals for team-mates.
Lassana Diarra and Dani Alves have both conceded 24 free kicks in Europe this term – more than any other players left in the competition, but fewer than Luiz Adriano of Shakhtar Donetsk, who was charged with 29.
With three red cards and 27 yellow cards, Real Madrid have the worst disciplinary record in the competition this term.
PROBABLE LINE-UPS
Barcelona (4-3-3):
Valdes; Dani Alves, Pique, Busquets, Puyol; Xavi, Mascherano, Iniesta; Pedro, Messi, Villa
The left-back spot remains Barcelona’s headache position. Adriano and Abidal are still sidelined and unavailable, so Carles Puyol, himself a doubt for the match, may be forced into the role on an auxiliary basis once more with Maxwell struggling. Following Javier Mascherano’s clumsy concession of a penalty at the weekend, Sergio Busquets may be preferred in the heart of the defence as Gabriel Milito is out for the remainder of the campaign.
In the midfield, Andres Iniesta could return to the squad, according to reports, but if he is not fit Seydou Keita will start. No surprises are expected in attack.
Substitute goalkeeper Jose Pinto is suspended.
Real Madrid (4-2-3-1):
Casillas; Arbeloa, Carvalho, Albiol, Marcelo; Alonso, Diarra; Di Maria, Ozil, Ronaldo; Adebayor
Real Madrid won’t switch their squad about in too great a fashion for this encounter, though they will have to adopt a more aggressive stance than they did in the Bernabeu. Emmanuel Adebayor should be deployed in attack to unsettle the home defence with his physical attributes, while Mesut Ozil must be given a more pivotal role.
Pepe and Sergio Ramos are both banned, posing problems to the defensive unit, while Jose Mourinho won’t be in the dugout following his dismissal last week. Midfielders Sami Khedira and Fernando Gago are injured.
Prediction
At some stage Real Madrid will have to open up and leave themselves exposed to Barcelona’s devastating offence. Jose Mourinho said last week that he feels this game is lost, and though he will certainly believe that there is a chance of turning this game around yet, the likelihood of los Blancos achieving that is slim. Barcelona will stamp their dominance over their rivals by claiming victory.
Barcelona 2-0 Real Madrid 
