Toni Kroos has point to prove as Real Madrid v Barcelona heads to La Liga

Dare the managers make changes?

Logically, this should be an ideal game for respective managers Santi Solari and Ernesto Valverde to freshen up their teams with a series of changes to their starting line-ups.

After an emotionally charged cup semi-final just four days ago, and with the return of the Champions League around the corner – especially for Real, who host Ajax on Tuesday – in normal circumstances we could fully expect to see superstars rested and fringe performers given an opportunity to shine.

But dare either of them do it? Both coaches know that, although Barca’s current nine-point advantage is sizeable, it is by no means insurmountable. A home victory would see Solari’s men cut the gap to six points, sparking fresh hope that their challenge could still be alive with another 12 games still remaining.

Solari certainly wouldn’t want to be condemned by history as the man who simply gave up on Real Madrid’s La Liga title challenge, and neither would he want to be remembered for losing two Bernabeu Clasicos in the space of four days. And Valverde certainly is not the type to take any risks in theoretically his team’s toughest remaining league outing, especially when his team has the luxury of a free midweek. So the rotations probably will be kept to a minimum, and strongest possible XIs will be fielded.

Undroppable Alba risking fatigue

On the subject of strong line-ups, one piece of welcome news for Barca which almost got lost in a busy week was the contract renewal of Jordi Alba, who has agreed a five-year deal with an eye-watering €500 million release clause.

Alba again showed his importance to the team with an excellent performance during Wednesday’s victory at the Bernabeu, including a neat combination with Ousmane Dembele in the build-up to the crucial opening goal.

The significance of Alba’s status within the squad is further enhanced by the fact his position of left-back is the only one lacking a convincing back-up, with youngster Juan Miranda looking out of his depth on the few occasions he has played. So although Alba is among the chief players due a rest, that possibility is sharply reduced by the lack of alternatives, and he has consequently played more minutes in La Liga than any other Barca outfield player except Gerard Pique.

Valverde is a man with a dry and subtle sense of humour, so the irony won’t be lost on him that the one player he most wants to rest is the one that he can’t. It will be a big surprise if Alba isn’t in the starting line-up once again.

Real’s Kroos control threatened?

Toni Kroos has been an unquestioned starter in the centre of midfield ever since he joined Madrid in the summer of 2014, with his smooth-as-silk performances alongside Luka Modric forming the backbone of the team’s style throughout his 200-plus outings for Los Blancos.

A mark of his consistency has been the fact that Kroos has always escaped criticism – until now. The aftermath to Wednesday’s defeat has seen him caught up in two controversies, firstly with the club firing youth team coach Alvaro Benito after he criticised Kroos, Casemiro and Sergio Ramos in his role as a radio pundit on Wednesday night.

Then Kroos received more negativity on the airwaves from former Real midfielder and manager Bernd Schuster, who sniped that his compatriot has turned from an ‘Audi engine’ into a ‘diesel engine’ who ‘jogs around and does nothing’. Kroos didn’t back away from confrontation with Schuster, responding on Twitter with a simple message: ‘Who???’

Kroos’s numbers show he is just as involved as ever, with his league record this season of 82.9 passes per game and completion rate of 93.5 per cent exceeding his career averages. But he is making less impact in the final third, registering only 2 assists so far this season compared to 7, 12 and 10 in the last three campaigns, and has scored only 1 goal in all competitions. So perhaps Schuster has a point? This would be the ideal game for Kroos to prove him wrong.