Suarez and Ronaldo ready to give it all in El Clasico

Bengaluru, December 19: As the El Clasico showdown nears, both Real Madrid and Barcelona will heave a hue sigh of relief as Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Suarez have hit form at the right time.

Both Ronaldo and Suarez had drawn a lot of flak for their dismal performances during the opening phase of the La Liga .

But Ronaldo made critics eat their words by netting the winner against Brazilian side Gremio which helped Real defend the FIFA Club World Cup crown, while Suarez scored a brace in Barca's 4-0 rout over Deportivo La Coruna in La Liga, a win which extended their stay at the top of the table.

When the arch rivals meet at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday (December 23), sparks are sure to fly as the form of Ronaldo and Suarez sets the tempo for a high-voltage contest.

Real's disappointing start to the league season was influenced by Ronaldo's poor form, although he has now turned a corner.

The Portuguese star insisted he is responding to criticism with his performances and he is desperate to catch Barcelona at the top of the table.

"I hope we win that game so that the league is still alive for Real Madrid," said Ronaldo, who is just one goal away from equalling Alfredo di Stefano as El Clasico's second best scorer.

Cristiano Ronaldo [17] is only one goal away from equalling Alfredo di Stefano [18] as El Clasico’s 2nd All-Time top scorer. pic.twitter.com/6JJy9BVdvo

— Cristiano Ronaldo (@TeamCRonaldo) December 19, 2017

"I'm having a great season. I talk on the pitch, I try to give my best so people enjoy my football."

For Suarez, it is a different ball game altogether as Barcelona are in good form. And after after a lean spell of scoring two goals in eight games in all competitions at the start of the season, the Uruguay striker now has six in his last seven and has just the El Clasico victory in mind.

Luis Suárez vs Deportivo (H)

The Uruguayan with his finest performance so far this season. He was everywhere in attack and linked up well with his team mates. He’s slowly gaining form and what better time to do it than before El Clásico.

By: @lilregista pic.twitter.com/R2Ew4dabsj

— ™ (@Tacticomotion_) December 18, 2017

"It would give us a boost in the competition, although there are other rivals like Atletico and Valencia," said Suarez.

All said and done, the stage is set for a the El Clasico, which will kick off at 1pm local time (5.30pm IST)