When Barcelona faces off against Real Madrid on Saturday, October 26 in the 2013 Clásico, fans at Camp Nou might be noticing a rather conspicuous absence: Gerard Piqué. The Barcelona central defender and Shakira romance will likely miss Saturday's action after straining his left hamstring in Tuesday night's Champions League match against Milan, which ended in a 1-1 draw. But some say that Barcelona fans ought to be celebrating the absence of the man who was once known as among the world's best at the position. Scroll down to hit the live stream link when it airs at noon on Saturday.
Yahoo! Sports wrote that Blaugrana supporters "cringe at the prospect of having Piqué in the lineup" because "they know he's not what he was two or three years ago", adding, "Shakira's consort has become, perhaps even before Pep Guardiola's departure after the 2012 season, a liability, the weakest link in the Barça defense. A defense that leaked more than a broken dam last season, but has improved considerably under new coach Gerardo 'Tata' Martino despite absences, at various times, of key personnel (Puyol, Alba Mascherano)."
Barcelona enters the match at first place in the Primera Division with a one point lead over Atlético Madrid and a three point lead over Real Madrid. They'll look to reestablish their advantage at Camp Nou, which Real Madrid has asserted surprising control over since 2010 -- Barcelona has only beaten Madrid once at home in league play since 2010, when Jose Mourinho's squad got buried 5-0. Barca has notched two victories in cup matches over Madrid at home since then, but league play wins have remained harder to come by for them.
According to the Guardian, Neymar described the match as the "pinnacle" to Barca's television channel on Wednesday, saying, "I don't think there is any need to explain what this match is all about. Even though players might never have participated in one, they understand the importance of a game between Barcelona and Real Madrid." He added, "A Clásico is the pinnacle for any player. It's the game everyone wants to play in and demonstrate their best football. This will be my first and I want to make a great debut, preferably with a victory...I think the nerves are the same in all the games you play. I know that it's about a very important Clásico but I think the feeling of having butterflies in your stomach is the same as before a normal match." Tune in to the action when it airs on beInSport or on beInSport En Espanol on October 26 at 12pm EST.
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