Saturday's El Clasico feels like something of a return ... to a time when Real Madrid and Barcelona were evenly matched ... to a time when Real Madrid and Barcelona were two of the five best teams in the world.
Outside of Manchester City, no other club in the world is clearly better than either of these two Spanish teams. As such, they're both top-five favorites in the betting markets to win the Champions League. Either club could win it all, and it wouldn't surprise anyone.
As for LaLiga, it's close to 50-50 right now. Madrid have the slight edge because they have the slight edge in the table. Through 10 matches, Madrid have 25 points, Barca 24. Madrid have scored 21 goals, Barca 22. Madrid have allowed seven goals, Barca 10.
- Stream LIVE on ESPN+: Barca vs. Real Madrid, Saturday, 10 a.m. ET (U.S.)
Dig under the hood a little bit, and the minor edge for Real Madrid flips to a minor edge for Barcelona. Per Stats Perform, Barca have created 22.5 expected goals, or xG, while Madrid have created 19.0. Barca have conceded 9.8 xG, Madrid 10.6. Defending champ Barca have played a slightly easier schedule, though, so it's basically a wash.
With the two teams as evenly matched as they've been in a long time, Saturday's match warrants a breakdown into its component parts. Let's compare Barcelona and Real Madrid across the five key areas that will decide the game: pressing, possession play, set pieces, transitions and finishing.