A great deal of pride at stake in El Clasico

Terrassa (Barcelona), May 5: There are no titles on offer for Barcelona and Real Madrid in Sunday’s (May 6) El Clasico but for the archrivals there will be a great deal of pride at stake as they face off at the Camp Nou.

Barcelona had already been crowned La Liga champions for this season and they also won the Copa del Rey trophy. The question remains as to whether Barca can go the whole season unbeaten. With just four games left in this domestic season they are not far away from achieving that accolade.

Barcelona’s last home loss in any competition came last August in the Spanish Super Cup against Real.

However, standing in their way is a Madrid side, having made it to their third successive Champions League final, who will love to tick Barcelona’s La Liga loss column for this season. Zinedine Zidane’s men will be looking to exact revenge for the 0-3 defeat that they suffered at Christmas week last year.

That loss at the Bernabeu all but signalled the end of Real’s title defence for this campaign and although a top-four finish has never really been in doubt.

Real will be hoping to end their league season with one final flourish and spoil Barcelona’s homecoming title party. Much has been made in the build-up with the refusal of Real to give the league champions a guard of honour.

That could be classed as a disrespectful act, but it is these things that stoke up the rivalry even further.

Barcelona won't win the Champions League this season, and Real Madrid just might yet again, but a season sweep of its rival and an undefeated league campaign would be plenty for the Catalans to boast.

It's ridiculous that Barcelona's season -- especially that of first-year manager Ernesto Valverde -- will be seen in some corners as a disaster because of one horrible collapse in Rome.

​Andres Iniesta is leaving Barcelona at the end of the season, and for the midfield maestro, this will be his final marquee game in a Barcelona shirt. He has already lifted the Copa del Rey trophy and hit the bus parade circuit last Saturday to celebrate the Spanish league title.

Barcelona still has two more home games remaining in which he can receive his final curtain call. But there's always something special about getting one when Real is on the opposing end of the field and Camp Nou is at its peak atmosphere.

Reports in Spanish dailies suggest that Iniesta may not be fully fit and that he is battling a calf muscle injury.

Los Blancos might not be thinking about rotation. Zidane will show his players that Clasico is very important because the image of Real Madrid is at stake.

This could well be the final Clasico showdown between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo with transfer rumours doing the rounds for the Portuguese.

Kick off at 8.45 pm local time (12.15am IST Monday)

Live on SONY Network