Some sides simply hate each other

By European Football
November 19 2005

Real Madrid V Barcelona. There are some big games in the world, the Milan derby for instance, some intense rivalries Boca Juniors and River Plate spring to mind, some ideological clashes, Celtic, rangers and some sides simply hate each other Newcastle United Sunderland for instance.

But on a world scale Barca V Madrid, is more than a football match, it’s a meeting of ideologies, of passion and if you ask a Basque, of different countries, so when the teams step out on to the pitch at the Santiago Bernabèu, be sure that its not about 3 points, it goes way deeper than that.

The week leading up to it has not been typical for sunny Spain, its never stopped raining for a start, what the Brazilians are making of it all is anyone’s guess, but if any of them are particularly religious it’s a fair bet that there will be an ark somewhere in their back garden.

While the players have been practising their doggy paddle all week, the media has been working its way into a state of frenzy, with two stories in particular hogging most of the headlines, the first is the will he won’t he be playing story around Ronaldo, which at last seemed to have resolved itself, with the Brazilian declaring himself 100% fit to play.

The other revolved around Barcelona’s Samuel Eto’o and his celebrations at winning the La Liga title last year when his chants of "Madrid, salute the champion," seem to have won him few friends.

The actions prompted Madrid’s talisman Ivan Helguera to state:

"Of course he (Eto’o) is going to be booed and whistled from start to finish on Saturday and not just because he is Samuel Eto’o, but because of his comments at the end of last season. If any other player had behaved in the same way they could expect a similar reaction on Saturday."

While Barca seem to be oozing confidence the same can not be said of los merengues, who have been chalking up results despite not looking convincing, they lie a point behind Barca in third with 21 points

My Prediction, 3-2 to Barcelona and a very happy Eto’o.