Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez on one side; Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar on the other.
There is no doubt El Clasico possesses an unmatched array of attacking talent, with each capable of producing a match-winning piece of magic.
But in determining the outcome of today’s meeting at the Bernabeu, it would be wrong to overlook the importance of the players in supporting roles.
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For Real Madrid, Luka Modric can play a key role in allowing the hosts to take a grip on the game.
The centre of midfield has been a problem position for Los Blancos for the last couple of years, with the strange decision to allow Xabi Alonso to join Bayern Munich having repercussions which remain unresolved.
Last season, Toni Kroos was supposed to fill the role, and although he did a decent enough job as the deepest-lying midfielder it was not a position which fully suited his more forward-thinking strengths.
Modric, with his busy style, clever range of passing and game intelligence, appears to be the man selected by Rafa Benitez to perform the all-important task of est-ablishing control of central areas and turning defence into attack.
Perhaps the biggest question facing Benitez today is whether he should give Modric additional support by also including the more muscular Casemiro, who is more than useful in the ‘enforcer’ role.
Here’s our 20-man squad to face Barcelona. #RMClasico #RMLiga #HalaMadrid https://t.co/7louE25BCf
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadriden) November 20, 2015
But in terms of limiting Barca’s attacking threat, Benitez should focus more of his efforts on another part of the pitch: the wings.
It’s vital to appreciate just how much Barca’s style has changed in the last few months, following the repositioning of Messi on the right wing and the emergence of Neymar into a genuine superstar.
Now, the centre of the field – previously the space they looked to dominate – is merely a place to get the ball wide as quickly as possible, where full-backs Jordi Alba and Dani Alves are always available to offer support to Messi and Neymar.
Time after time during Barca’s title run last term, four players had more touches of the ball than anyone else: Alves, Alba, Messi and Neymar. If they are allowed to team up down the flanks tonight, it will be fatal for Madrid.
So Benitez must ensure that his defence receives help from more advanced players such as, depending on their formation, Bale and Ronaldo.
#ElClásico Last training session by #Messi @LuisSuarez9 & @neymarjr https://t.co/CmKrJj7oCY #FCB
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) November 20, 2015
This is not something they have always done particularly well, with the catastrophic 4-0 defeat against Atletico in last season’s city derby at the Vicente Calderon providing the best example of Real’s full-backs being left exposed.
All four of Atletico’s goals on that occasion came via crosses, and Benitez must ensure Neymar and Alba on the left, or Messi and Alves down the right, are not allowed to get into similar 2v1 positions against the hosts’ full-backs.
Benitez could, of course, look to attack Barca and thereby limit Alves and Alba’s attacking runs.
But they are two of the fittest players around so their forward forays cannot easily be prevented and, for an arch-tactician like Benitez, leaving his defence vulnerable would be an unusual risk.
