If anything in this world was destined by fate, then Real Madrid and Barcelona were destined to be bitter rivals who could never escape one another.
These two teams, with a century-old grudge between them, had always been the banners of La Liga. Their clashes were known as the National Derby and were now even hailed as El Clásico, attracting attention from media and fans across the world.
Over the past few years, every El Clásico had been a much-anticipated highlight watched eagerly by media and fans worldwide. Although the Football Association was unwilling to admit it, La Liga always prioritized Real Madrid and Barcelona's two matches when arranging the schedule each season. They had previously been set for December and April, precisely the key stages of the league.
Previously, however, Real Madrid and Barcelona had both reached the Champions League semifinals, resulting in four consecutive El Clásico matches within an extremely short period. That would inevitably cause some fatigue for anyone watching.
This season, responding to public opinion, the Football Association made adjustments. It scheduled Real Madrid and Barcelona's first clash for the seventh round, which meant their second meeting would take place in the twenty-sixth round of La Liga.
What was interesting was that both teams had also reached the Copa del Rey semifinals this season. Thus, at the end of February and the beginning of March, they once again faced two consecutive El Clásico matches. Immediately after the second leg of the Copa del Rey semifinal, they would meet again in the league.
After the twenty-sixth round of the league, the two teams would immediately face the second legs of their Champions League knockout ties. Real Madrid's opponent was Shakhtar Donetsk. The first leg had ended 2–2, with Real Madrid drawing away against the Ukrainian side. Barcelona's