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| PROBABLE LINE-UPS |
REAL MADRID  Casillas Arbeloa, Ramos, Pepe, Marcelo Xabi Alonso, Diarra, Khedira Di Maria, Benzema/Higuain, Ronaldo | BARCELONA  Valdes Alves, Puyol, Pique, Abidal Xavi, Busquets, Iniesta Messi, Cesc, Sanchez |
Jose Mourinho looks set to deploy Alvaro Arbeloa at right-back after the defender returned from injury in the midweek Champions League win over Ajax. Sergio Ramos and Pepe will continue their partnership at the heart of the defence, with Ricardo Carvalho still injured.
Xabi Alonso returns from suspension and will play alongside Lassana Diarra, while Sami Khedira is likely to be given the nod ahead of Fabio Coentrao to complete a three-man midfield.
Mourinho has already confirmed that Cristiano Ronaldo and Angel Di Maria will start the game in support of either Karim Benzema or Gonzalo Higuain.
Despite suffering concussion in last weekend's 5-0 victory over Levante, Carles Puyol is winning his battle to start at centre-half alongside Gerard Pique, with Barcelona set to opt for a four-man backline, although Pep Guardiola has indicated he has considered utilising a back-three, as he has done on several occasions this season.
Guardiola has no major injury woes and has a selection dilemma in midfield and attack. Sergio Busquets is expected to shield the defence with Xavi and Andres Iniesta likely to provide the creativity in the middle of the park.
David Villa is set to miss out again as Guardiola is likely to select Chile forward Alexis Sanchez on the left, with Cesc Fabregas deployed in the 'false nine' position and Lionel Messi reverting to a right-wing role.
| DID YOU KNOW? |
- Real Madrid have won only one of their previous 11 meetings with their Catalan rivals (losing seven and drawing the other three).
- However, Los Blancos have won six out of eight of their last meetings versus Barcelona when the sides have met in the month of December (one defeat, one draw).
- Madrid have not dropped a single point after scoring first in Liga since the beginning of the 2009-10 campaign, with every other team dropping at least 18 points in this period.
- Barcelona have won only three of their last 10 Liga away fixtures, this coming after setting the record for most consecutive away victories last season (12).
- Lionel Messi has scored on his last five visits to the Santiago Bernabeu, netting a total of seven goals in the process.
- Pep Guardiola's men have scored more goals in the opening 15 minutes than any other side in La Liga this season (11), while Madrid have netted the most strikes in the last 15 (10).
Real Madrid have home advantage and are in brilliant form, but Pep Guardiola's men cannot afford to lose this game. With both sides boasting squads of similar quality, especially in attack, it's difficult to see anything other than a score draw at the Bernabeu, in what is sure to be an intensely-contested encounter.
Editor's Prediction
Real Madrid 2-2 Barcelona 
