Messi and Neymar or Ronaldo and Bale

With the transfer window finally over after 82 days, it is time to have a look at what may be the most anticipated football match of the season: The Clásico, FC Barcelona vs Real Madrid will be played on 26th or 27th of October at the Camp Nou.

This match up between two of the biggest rivals in football history will see no less than 5 of the top football players in activity today, if not the top 5 players at all : Leo Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Neymar Jr, and Andrés Iniesta. That is, of course, if we decide to exclude Frank Ribery, 2013 UEFA player of the year.

Both FC Barcelona and Real Madrid have spent a good lot of money this summer.

The catalan side paid € 57m to bring the Brazilian superstar Neymar Jr from Santos FC to the Camp Nou, whilst Real Madrid obtained Gareth Bale from Tottenham Hotspurs with the biggest transfer fee in the world of football : € 100m.

This brings to the table a question that only time will be able to answer:

El Clasico : Which attacking duo is the best ?

FC Barcelona have made only one signing during the summer break. But they now have in Neymar Jr what they have been lacking last season : A man that can take over a whole match when Leo Messi is having a day off (it happens… although not that often) or is out for injury. Moreover, when combined with La Pulga on the pitch, Neymar Jr will leure defenders to his side, leaving Leo Messi with a whole side of the pitch. An explosive duo which should be a real headache for opposite sides to try and contain, with no excpetion for Real Madrid, which will face the catalan squad twice this season: 2 more CLasicos!

Real Madrid, on the other hand, have decided to break the continuity of 3 troubled years under Jose Mourinho. Good bye Gonzalo Higuain (Napoli S.C.C) and Mesut Özil (Arsenal FC), los Merengues have put their money on young playmaker Isco from Malaga and on the Premier League superstar Gareth Bale. The latter, combined with Cristiano Ronaldo, should be a lethal force in counter attack this season.