Crunch Clasico as Barca look to pounce on Real unrest

But Sunday's meeting between Barcelona and Real Madrid carries more weight than usual. With an 11-point lead over their rivals, Barcelona know that victory, or even a draw, at the Nou Camp would seal back-to-back La Liga titles and cap a dominant domestic campaign. Real Madrid, by contrast, arrive under growing pressure after a week defined less by football and more by dressing-room unrest, player altercations and internal disciplinary action.

Against that backdrop, Real head coach Alvaro Arbeloa faces perhaps the biggest challenge of his short spell in charge: pulling together a fractured squad before one of the biggest matches in Spanish football. Along the touchline, Hansi Flick has overseen a far calmer build-up, with Barcelona projecting confidence and control as they attempt to be crowned champions in front of their own supporters. The first Clasico of the season in October went the way of Madrid, who earned a 2-1 win at the Bernabeu in a match played under very different circumstances, when the title race was far more open.

Real had a different manager in Xabi Alonso and tensions were far less exposed. This time, however, the stakes could not be clearer. Barcelona have the chance to lift the La Liga trophy at home after a match against their biggest rivals, while Madrid are fighting to delay the inevitable.

Alvaro Arbeloa took charge of Real Madrid in January, following Xabi Alonso's departure Questions surrounding the altercation between midfielders Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni dominated Arbeloa's news conference on Saturday. The incident left Valverde ruled out of El Clasico because of concussion symptoms, while both players were fined 500,000 euros (£432,000) following a club investigation. Tchouameni returned to training on Friday and remains available for the match, although Arbeloa declined to confirm whether the France international would start.