While it may not be El Clásico in the way that we've come to expect, Saturday's match in the Spanish capital between Real Madrid and Barcelona still holds major title implications.
Atlético Madrid's 10-point lead atop La Liga at the end of January has all but vanished as both Barcelona and Real find themselves in excellent form. With a win over Real Valladolid (owned by former Barça and Real star Ronaldo) on Monday, La Blaugrana pulled to within one point of league-leading Atlético.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid, which sits three points behind Atlético, has gone unbeaten in its last 12 matches (10 wins), including a formidable showing in a comfortable 3-1 win over Liverpool in the first leg of its UEFA Champions League quarterfinal on Tuesday.