So, this is what it all comes down to. It eventually, invariably, always comes down to this. The game that will, most likely, decide this seasons La Liga champion.

As it stands right now:

Real Madrid has a 3 point lead with a game still to play.

If Real Madrid wins, that will increase to 6 points and a game left to play. This will make it very difficult for Barcelona to catch up to Real. The media and all pundits will most likely, right then and there, declare Real Madrid as the champions.

The case is very similar in a draw also, as Real will hang on to a 3 point lead with an extra game to play.

If Barcelona wants any chance to successfully defend their title, they have to win at Bernabeu - even though they couldn't achieve this at Camp Nou. If you recall, the first leg between these two ended with a 1-1, Sergio Ramos breaking the Catalan hearts. In that game, Real Madrid was the better team until Iniesta entered the proceedings. His introduction had completely changed the game, and Barcelona should have won it. However, Real Madrid have shown their resilience in that game, as they have numerous of times this season.

Even if Barcelona do win this, that is not a guarantee that they will win the league. Real Madrid will still hold the upper hand as they will be tied on points but Real will have played a game less. It will however take almost a perfect performance from the Catalans to achieve this, especially without the suspended Neymar who has been, without a doubt, their best attacking outlet recently. Although Gareth Bale remains a doubt for Real Madrid, but Isco has upstaged him recently so it does not look like Real will be missing him nearly as much as Barca will miss Neymar.

Suspensions:
Neymar (Barcelona)

Injuries:
// will be updated after both teams have played their champions league quarter final second legs. //

My prediction:

Real Madrid 3 - 1 Barcelona

A poll is provided to vote for the outcome of this match:

I believe I'll be President in 2020. You know what's more delusional? Believing that Ramos's challenge was a yellow.

I haven't at any one point debated whether the red was justified or not. The only thing I said was that I believe he didn't go into that tackle with the sole intention of hurting Messi.

Messi has quick feet, much quicker than majority of players out there. That's why Ramos was late to it.

Do you honestly believe that Ramos, deliberately, went for Messi there knowing the only conclusion would be a red card?

So, you think, the captain of Real intentionally sabotaged his team in one of the most important games of the season?

And.. and you guys dare to make a comment questioning MY intelligence?

Hahah.. I mean really, that's brilliant.

And.. and you guys dare to make a comment questioning MY intelligence?

That's an incredibly condescending statement. We're just debating whether it's a yellow or a red here.

Amer now you are just contradicting yourself. You ask "the captain of Real intentionally sabotaged his team..." Yet earlier you were talking about how hot headed he was. I think the tackle falls perfectly in his personality. When you are down, lash out in a bad tackle. It's not the first time and under Mou this was so prevalent. So yes, he intended to go as bad a he could while attempting to get away with a yellow. Luckily the ref judged it correctly.

Well, I really disagree. I think he made a judgement call, thought he would get the ball but didn't.

I see him making similar tackles weekly, sometimes inside the box. Though he usually gets them right. Nothing happened before that incident that would make me think there was some bad blood, or that he was trying to get some kind of a revenge. Nothing.. The game was still in our reach, absolutely no reason to do what you are suggesting he did. It wasn't even that dangerous of a situation, it happened around half-way line, wasn't the last person.

He is a hot head but he's not an idipt, and what you are suggesting would mean he's just that.

He might try to get retribution, but as I said, there was nothing that would require such a response.

So aside from the fact that he was late to the tackle and clattered him, what indication do you have that he tried to hurt him?

Did he raise his foot to trip him after he jumped? No. There was no maliciousness there. Just a terrible miscalculation.

If he wanted to hurt him, he'd have raised his foot and hurt him when he saw that Messi jumped.

Stop dramatizing the damn thing.

Dynastian: I wouldn't have made such a comment had someone not compared my belief towards Ramos saying the truth to that of fairy tales.

@Amer: uhmn, Ramos is an absolute idiot sometimes, so you cant be more wrong.

If you search for red card El Clasico Ramos, you will see how Ramos deliberately kicked Messi from behind, without any ball, shoved Puyol, Xavi in the face after his red.

He is thats dirty.

The only thing I said was that I believe he didn't go into that tackle with the sole intention of hurting Messi.

No, but he certainly went to it with a clear mission: stop him at any cost.

Amerr come on mate it was a red card who fouls like that vs Barcelona anyway? He was asking for it

Be afraid of Messi in the upcoming months this guy is on a personal mission.

Ronaldo has become a true super poacher (remember Inzaghi?)

True.

I believe everyone has equal opportunity to become president . What have you done today to get there Kanye ?? Your lack of faith disturbs me !

@Amer: here, please be rational and watch this (personal note: this is not to cause war between Barcelona dirty or Madrid dirty, I just want to show you your argument is so wrong):

Remember When Ramos Kicked Messi & Lashed Out At Puyol?
http://www.soccerladuma.co.za/fan-park/update/real-madrid/4635

Go to 0:15 and see now "just a hot headed, and not an idiot to sabotage his team" is. (caution - really disgusting behavior from Ramos):

(Click "Watch on YouTube")

Let the action do the talking

I don't know what do you Barcelona fans want, it was a red and he got the red what else is there to talk about...Ramos didn't want to end Messi's career that's just overblowing his agressive sliding tackle, why didn't any Barcelona fan say that Vidal wanted to end someones career when he got a red?

Roflmao even your team wins it's not enough you hate Real more than loving your own team so now you try to make drama and make other players look like they are evil criminals or something roflmao

@Golazo To be fair, it was I who brought this up. But what do you know, it seems that people love to always over think things when it is simple.

I have absolutely NO PROBLEM with the red card. I was simply drawing comparisons between Ramos' tackle and Vidal's tackle, and wanted to know what the difference was! That's it!

To recap my point

Vidal's tackle on Asensio was a two-footed tackle, only that he made contact with the ball before Asensio, making it a proper tackle. Ramos' tackle on the other hand was also a two-footed tackle, but it didn't make contact with the ball nor Messi, making this a red card? Also, speaking about fouls on counter-attacks, there's a HUGE difference between a tackle from behind and a face-to-face tackle.

That is all. Lol don't complicate things people.

I just want consistency with the calls. I know how stupid Ramos is at times, so if there was no controversy last week I wasn't going to question this booking. Consistency matters folks.

Vidal's tackle on merited him a yellow card if I recall correctly. I think it just has to do with the fact that Vidal actually won the ball.

Golazo i don't see anyone actually hating on Real Madrid and even more so, no Barca fans jumping in. This is mainly a discussion about Ramos and Amer defending him. I understand you stand by your club and players but sometimes you gotta be able to admit they were wrong to do something.

When did I say that I don't admit both red cards? LOL you're one of them rai...

What? Now you are making no sense. Re read my previous comment.

@Rai According to the FootyRoom Council of Referees (FCF) Vidal's tackle was pure and deserved no booking, "How the faaaak was that a red." - Tuan Theodore Jinn, President and Chairman of FCF.

All jokes aside, it is what it is at the end of the day and I don't want to look petty around here. The more clinical team won and hopefully we bounce back.

Lol I actually like that. Hey maybe that could be a new thread series were we, as a community, re ref certain calls and vote on it. I've seen Marca start doing it.

Although in my statement I meant the ref only gave him a yellow and the red was for a second booking not necessarily his tackle. And yes it was a tight game that could have gone either way. I do see Real bouncing back all though your back line is worrying due to injuries and suspension for next la liga match.