Real Madrid vs Barcelona

Benzema isn't fully fit and he's still a doubt for the clasico.

Yeah he trained today.

No one got injured during the break? Miracle.

Should we start plotting Rafa's assassination in case he chooses Danilo over Carvajal and benches James tomorrow? Somebody bring me Oswald.

yeah i'd be really upset if danilo played, especially after that fiasco against sevilla. but i have a stinking feeling rafa will play him for whatever reason...btw any news on if marcelo will play?

Marca is reporting that Benitez will start Isco over James. Damn it

4-4-2

Just have Casemiro in there.

Right now it's so disorganized it's like a 4-2-4
Danilo so bad

this team is extremely ordinary

Rafa failed tactically big time here... you can't play Barca with only two true CMs. it's been proven over and over and over again. Isco should be there instead of James if you were going to go the attacking route. He's better at playing the midfield role.

Benitez satisfying majority of madrid fans. There you go James and Benzema starting despite the former not playing in months and the latter just returning from Injury.

Casemiro needs to start these type of games, but then Benitez would be criticized for defensive approach

Our fan base suck. And so does Danilo. Complete waste of 30 million

Since when does a manager have to listen to the fan base? Nothing to do with the fans. If Rafa put this lineup out because of fan pressure, he needs to go now.

we need a destroyer but if he benched kroos, people wud complain and say he's defensive....imo as a team we're not as good nor as dynamic as we think we are. its not solely rafa's fault, we can blame tactics all we want, but who on our team can make something out of nothing when the team is looking jaded? that's what i want to see in the second half, for someone to pick up the mantle and say "*bleep* it, i'm going at them regardless". but we don't have that, we didn't have it last season neither. we look extremely ordinary regardless of the million tactics one can employ

I didn't watch the first half. Did Rafa really choose Danilo over Carvajal?

Benitez Out trending on Twitter.

James out and Marcelo out?
Bale and Danilo still on the pitch.

Lmao don't try to deny you guys wanted Benz and James to start this game despite both not ready at all for a game like this

Casemiro is a must in our starting line up. Idc who he benches be it James, Benz Ronaldo Bale idc, he has to play

Truly disgusting that today of all days Benitez idiotically decides to give our idiot fan base what they want. You want attack? There you go, too bad they suck

Nah it's tactics and not being able to manage the egos of the squad... stuff we knew about Rafa coming in.

I didn't.  CHeck out the clasico thread in the main section and i was shocked that both were starting when the lineup was announced.

Stop trying to find excuses for him. He has the squad to attack and win, he's just a master tactician loser. Danilo over Carvajal? And now he takes out Marcelo and James while Danilo is still breathing?

I'm not giving any excuses for Benitez. He *bleep* up by giving the fans what they want with this attacking approach that waa doomed with Danilo in there and no Casemiro.

Barca is tearing us a new one. They're without a doubt the best in the world. La Liga is pretty much a wrap with this win.

this isn't solely a tactical issue. i'm tired of excusing players after they mess up. i'm not going to excuse rafa neither (hell, people wanted him cos he was born in madrid and all that). but, seeing how neymar and suarez have been playing even with an injured messi, compared to us, even if rafa set out the greatest winston churchill strategy out there, we would not have done anything special...NOTHING. the only way we can play is short side and back heel passes on counters...who on this team in attack can dribble the ball? who in attack can slice passes (i'm not talking about side or 2 foot cheap passes, i mean real nice through balls). the team is garbage. they can beat the mallorca's of this world, i'll give them that

Stop with this "giving the fans what they want" nonsense. He *bleep* up. Plain and simple.

I can't believe we sacked a world class manager for this loser.