What the Spanish media are saying ahead of El Clasico

Almost as entertaining as El Clasico itself is the buildup to the fixture, as the Spanish media features no shortage of content pertaining to Real Madrid and Barcelona in the days leading up to the match. Newspapers and websites are clogged with everything from features, to team news, and infographics, turning a blind eye to the stories that normally fill up the pages.

Saturday's renewal of the rivalry, which will take place at the Santiago Bernabeu, is no different, and the game will be played against a more political backdrop than usual.

Earlier this month, Catalonia's government vowed to move forward with its secession process after Spain's Constitutional Court suspended a law that set out the autonomous community's path to independence. So, in a contest that's already treated by the media as a nation against a state, there's an added layer of hostility that's impossible to ignore when reading Marca, AS, and Mundo Deportivo.

Here's what the Spanish media said about El Clasico on Thursday:

Marca

At the top of Marca's front page is a story that includes a collection of quotes from Andres Iniesta, who, following Xavi Hernandez's departure, has featured in more editions of El Clasico than any of Real Madrid and Barcelona's current players.

Iniesta admits the fixture turns him into a "motorcycle," which seems like a positive approach for a 31-year-old to have. The quotes are taken from a 24-minute press conference the Catalan club uploaded to its YouTube account.

Further down on Marca's front page is a story in which Gareth Bale discusses the phenomenal goal he scored in the final of the 2013-14 Copa del Rey. For those who don't recall, Bale left Marc Bartra for dead by using his speed and strength, resulting in one of the greatest goals El Clasico has ever witnessed.

"It's one of my favourites and I'm sure it's one that will linger long in my memory," Bale said.

Scrolling down further, there's a report detailing how Sergio Ramos was forced to leave Real Madrid's training session on Monday, his first since aggravating a persisting shoulder injury at Sevilla. Marca alleges that "surgery stalks the No. 4," but his idea is to force himself to play in El Clasico before taking the necessary time to recover.

Related - VIDEO: Sergio Ramos thanks fans for support after injuring shoulder

Below the report is an awesome infographic that compares Luka Modric's and Toni Kroos' passing percentages to their teammates' and Barcelona. It's no surprise Marca, known for its love of Real Madrid, would publish such an illustration, but the numbers really do indicate just how exceptional Modric and Kroos have been this season when it comes to moving the ball.

AS

AS' front page, littered with El Clasico content, features a quartet of thumbnails directly below the navigation bar, each of which links to a story.

The first thumbnail opens up a breakdown of how Real Madrid is entering the game, pointing out that Los Blancos surrendered the top spot in the La Liga table by virtue of its defeat at Sevilla during the league's last matchday. The article said victory "would be a perfect face balm for staff and supporters" and, in a reminder that AS is Madrid-based, makes sure to mention Rafa Benitez's side has one less defeat than Barcelona this season and has scored one more goal while conceding three fewer.

By contrast, the second thumbnail opens up a breakdown of how Barcelona is entering the contest and, unsurprisingly, discusses the "doubts" surrounding the Catalan club on the road this season as a result of defeats at Sevilla and at Celta de Vigo. However, the article also makes note that the Blaugrana have been brilliant in the second half of its La Liga fixtures, as 20 of its 25 goals have come after the interval.

Moving on, the third thumbnail offers something different, as it opens up a gallery of historic photos from El Clasico, kicking off the chronological slideshow with a wonderful image of Barcelona's squad from the first-ever installment of the match, which took place on March 13, 1902 as part of the Copa de Espana's semifinals in front of 1,500 spectators.

That image is followed by a 1936 photo of 'keeper Ricardo Zamora. The shot-stopper played for both Real Madrid and Barcelona during his illustrious career but is seen representing the Catalan club in the image.

The gallery's third photo also deserves a shout out, as it was taken during the semifinals of the Copa del Generalisimo in 1942, when Spain was governed by Francisco Franco and his fascists. A scoreboard reads "11-1," which is the most one-sided result in El Clasico history.

Lastly, the fourth thumbnail on AS' front page is basically a hype machine, as it opens up a collection of listicles, such as the top 10 goals in El Clasico history, and the most heated moments between Real Madrid and Barcelona, as well as videos, such as the violent encounter involving Zinedine Zidane and Luis Enrique from 2003.

Mundo Deportivo

Near the top of Mundo Deportivo's front page is a story addressing Lionel Messi's availability for El Clasico, as the Argentinian phenom hasn't taken the pitch since tearing his left knee's internal collateral ligament at the end of September.

Whether Messi takes the pitch remains to be seen, but Mundo Deportivo reports he's been feeling better with each passing day and will be "an ace kept up the sleeve" until two hours before kickoff.

Directly below is a story that captures Mundo Deportivo's love for Barcelona, as it features a list of Europe's top 12 strikers and points out that Neymar - averaging 1.1 goals per game in La Liga - is finding the back of the net at a higher frequency than Cristiano Ronaldo - averaging 0.7 goals per game in La Liga.

Also included on the front page is an in-depth comparison of Real Madrid and Barcelona's presence on social media, asking the question: "Who is winning El Clasico online?" For example, when it comes to the club's managers, Enrique, with 620,000 followers, defeats Benitez and his mere 319,000 followers.

The last thing worth noting is the front page has a live countdown to El Clasico, and upon clicking on the clock, a concise summary of Mundo Deportivo's coverage can be found, including a beautiful infographic depicting the kickoff times for the biggest rivalry in sport.