This has been a big week in soccer. There's the Champions League semifinals, in which Barcelona fell short against Chelsea, and Real Madrid hopes to come back against Bayern today. Also this past week in soccer was what is considered to be one of the great rivalries not just in soccer, but in all of sports, period. El Clasico, between Barcelona and Real Madrid. It has always been a major rivalry, even transcending sports. In Spain, El Clasico is not only about regional pride, but has also carried major political significance in its history. Internationally, it has been the most watched single game outside of the World Cup final or the Champions League final. Now, thanks to social media and online streaming, it has grown bigger than ever. What I saw on Saturday was not just a matchup between the two best teams in La Liga, in Spain, or in Europe. What I saw was a matchup between what I think are the two best teams on Earth.
I know what you're thinking. Alex, didn't you just mention Barca lost to Chelsea in their semifinal and Real is struggling against Bayern? Yes, I mentioned those facts, but those things happen sometimes. Now, let's get back to what we were talking about, Barca and Madrid. Just looking at the lineups for these teams sounds like an all-star game today, with players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Karim Benzema, Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Mesut Ozil, and Xabi Alonso for Madrid, and Lionel Messi, Carlos Puyol, Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Cesc Fabregas, Sergio, Gerard Pique, and Victor Valdes for Barca. These two teams have combined to win the past 5 La Liga titles, and with Real Madrid leading, the two will combine for the last 6 La Liga titles. Plus, these two have frequently gone deep into the Champions League tournament the last several years, with Barca winning two titles. No matter how you slice it, these two have two of the best resumes of any soccer (or football, or whatever the hell you wanna call it) club in recent memory. With all due respect to Chelsea, Manchester United, and any other elite clubs, these two are the best around right now.
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