Derby Time ⋆ An Old International

Derby Time

After an eventful week in the Champions League, the weekend will see several big derbies played out in Europe.

El Clasico

In Spain, the two biggest clubs, Real Madrid and FC Barcelona will meet at Camp Nou on Sunday evening for the first sparring in the contest for the Spanish championship. Both have won their mid-week game away at Benfica and Ajax respectively. Barca appeared to be in second gear throughout their match as they cruised to a 2-0 victory against The Eagles from Lisbon. Victory came with a sour note. On his return from a long knee injury, Carles Puyol, their talismanic captain and lion heart twisted and dislocated his left arm after a fall and had to be substituted.

Real Madrid seem to be on a roll. Wednesday saw them destroying Ajax 4-1 at the Ajax Arena with Cristiano Ronaldo in superb form scoring a hat-trick, the second in consecutive matches while Karim Benzema added a fourth with an excellent scissor-kick. With the return to success, the unrest that was reported in September seems to be laid at rest. However, come defeat on Sunday, the gap between the arch rivals from the Spanish capital and Catalonia will be 11 points and unrest will make its come back and be a constant companion for Jose Mourinho and his team. In spring 2011 this fixture turned sour as both clubs met in the Champions League, the League as well as the Cup Final in a matter of a few weeks.

 

The Biggest Game in French Football

Sunday will also see the Big Two of France l’OM and PSG meet at the Stade Velodrome. This time it is special as both clubs are in first and second place respectively. While Marseille managed a convincing and morale boosting 5-1 triumph against AEL Limassol, PSG suffered their first defeat on after 9 matches this season away at Porto 1-0. It was the first time the Parisians have lost against Porto. Nouveau Riche PSG have spent more than

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