Barca and Madrid seek boost in crisis Clasico between giants in decline

La Liga's most important Clasico for years might also be the most mediocre on Sunday as Barcelona and Real Madrid each fight to lift the gloom by deepening the other's sense of crisis.

Two points separate the league's leading pair, making this weekend's meeting at the Santiago Bernabeu a potentially significant checkpoint in a back-and-forth title race, particularly if Barcelona win and extend their advantage to five.

It will be more significant than last season, when Barca kicked off the calendar's second Clasico nine points clear of Madrid, or the season before, when they were already 15 in front.

But while a tussle at the top of the table is welcome in terms of intrigue, there is an unmistakeable sense of decline hanging over what has become the world's most famous club fixture.

"It's a race of two lame ducks, both of them are bad right now, that's the reality," former Real Madrid forward Jorge Valdano told Onda Cero on Wednesday night.

"Barca's recovery is more down to Real Madrid than Barca themselves."
"The only takeaway can be that this Madrid side simply aren't up to it."
- End of golden age? -
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