Real Madrid Are Returning To The Camp Nou After Three Years
Their last visit was under drastically different circumstances
FC Barcelona players arguing against Real Madrid players during the semi finals of the Copa del Rey, Spanish Kings Cup match between FC Barcelona v Real Madrid at Spotify Camp Nou Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, on April 5th, 2023. (Photo by Gongora/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images Real Madrid’s last visit to the Camp Nou came in 2023 – a 4-0 win in the Copa del Rey semi-final second leg built on a Karim Benzema hat-trick and a standout display from Vinicius Jr. Barcelona had camped at the Montjuïc stadium during the renovations of the Camp Nou – it has been a renovation of fortunes as well.
11 points ahead at kick-off, needing only a draw – they are all but confirmed to secure successive LaLiga titles. Real Madrid’s season, on the other hand, has turned into an unprecedented implosion since the October Clásico at the Bernabeu earlier this seaosn. Madrid defeated Barcelona 2-1 in that game and were five points clear at the top of LaLiga – what seems like a lifetime ago now.
The episode involving Fede Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni is considered closed, at least from the club’s point of view, with both players hit with a 500,000-euro fine. Tchouameni is available for selection against Barcelona. However, the damage the incident has caused to Real Madrid’s reputation cannot be quantified.
The team was already out of all competitions when this happened. Such astonishing levels of dressing-room unrest could only make things worse, and they did. The result of the Clásico on Sunday at the Camp Nou is deemed a foregone conclusion.