As of November 21st, all European qualifiers had concluded.
The thirteen teams representing Europe in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa are: Denmark, Switzerland, Slovakia, Germany, Spain, Croatia, Serbia, Italy, the Netherlands, England, Portugal, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and France.
Other continents were also finalizing their slots.
For Suker, once his team secured qualification, he shifted all his focus back to the league.
On November 21st, Real Madrid played away against Racing Santander.
In the 90-minute match, Suker contributed one goal and one assist, helping Real Madrid to a 3–1 win.
At the same time, Barcelona was unexpectedly held to a 1–1 draw at home by Athletic Bilbao.
The most crucial point was that this rough match saw Barcelona's midfield maestro Xavi get injured.
Though Barcelona did not reveal details of Xavi's injury, the signs at the time were not optimistic.
In fact, at the post-match press conference, Guardiola angrily condemned the player who had fouled Xavi.
But protests don't heal injuries, and they couldn't bring back a healthy Xavi.
Guardiola was deeply troubled.
He had been confidently preparing to face Real Madrid, only for Xavi to be sidelined at this critical moment.
Though they still had Yaya Touré in the squad…
In terms of system compatibility, Xavi was the true midfield core of this team.
Therefore, Xavi's injury was bound to affect Barcelona's midfield.
Meanwhile, for Real Madrid, Xavi's absence was a golden opportunity.
With their rival's midfield maestro out, their chances of winning rose significantly.
Not a guaranteed win, of course, but their odds had improved.
Due to the team's structure, at this point, the Xavi-Iniesta duo was arguably even more crucial than Messi.
Without one of the engines in Barcelona's double-turbine midfield, their attack and stability would surely suffer.
Pellegrini adjusted his tactics accordingly.
He had no choice.
He could only hope for scenarios like Xavi's injury to stand a chance of winning.
Barcelona's current lineup had won the Champions League and had been tested and honed.
Real Madrid, on the other hand, had just begun its rebuilding this season. A home win against Barcelona would already be a massive success.
Pellegrini implemented a high-pressing strategy.
He also decided to rely more on younger players in this match.
Veterans like Raúl and Guti were relegated to the bench.
After all, high pressing demands relentless running to increase combat effectiveness.
This was the same tactic Croatia developed to face Spain in the Euros—with excellent results.
In fact, only Croatia had successfully beaten Spain using this method.
Other teams that tried it against Barcelona had largely failed.
Tactics were one thing, but player quality was another.
Without sufficient defensive strength, pressing power, and a top-class striker, even the best strategy wouldn't work.
It all came down to squad disparity!
One week before El Clásico…
The media were anything but idle.
Reports, analyses, speculations—nonstop.
There was Real Madrid vs. Barcelona.
And there was also Suker vs. Messi.
As the saying goes, "In literature, there's no number one; in martial arts, there's no number two."
Football is the same.
Put two fierce tigers in one cage, and they must fight.
Even if they don't want to, the public will push them to do so.
All media coverage focused on Suker vs. Messi.
Statistical comparisons.
Honors comparisons.
Performance comparisons.
They even compared their heights during puberty!
Suker was absolutely fed up with the media.
He hated being reminded of his developmental struggles as a child.
Real Madrid and Barcelona fans clashed on all fronts—but agreed on one unspoken rule:
Never use the term "dwarf."
Suker had suffered wartime malnutrition, leading to delayed growth.
Messi, on the other hand, had a medically diagnosed growth hormone deficiency.
So insulting one meant insulting the other. Hence, fans avoided that word even in their fiercest flame wars.
Still, the intensity of fan clashes was fierce.
Add to that the political tension between Catalonia and Spain, and the conflict became even more heated.
Spain's Marca (pro-Real Madrid) and Catalunya Radio (pro-Barcelona) also went head-to-head.
They debated the teams, the players, and especially Suker vs. Messi.
Even legendary figures in Spanish and world football chimed in.
The two greatest legends also took sides.
Maradona supported fellow Argentine Messi, saying Messi had greater talent and a brighter future.
Pelé, however, favored Suker, claiming Suker was more than just a striker—"If you think Suker is just a poacher, you either don't understand football or you're an idiot!"
Suker heard all these comments.
He appreciated Pelé's support, but...
It's Pelé, the ultimate jinx!
Whoever he praises tends to fall apart afterward!
Suker was nervous he'd get "cursed" by Pelé.
"This is crazy."Ramos looked at the newspaper in Suker's hand and couldn't help but exclaim.
El Clásico had always been fiery, but this time the tension was off the charts. All of Spain—no, all of Europe—was talking about it.
Suker vs. Messi?Messi vs. Suker?
This match would provide the answer.
"Aren't you feeling the pressure?"Ramos grinned. "If we lose, we're screwed."
"The game hasn't even started and you're already thinking of losing?"Suker raised an eyebrow.
Ramos smiled awkwardly.
He didn't want to be pessimistic, but last season had been rough—they were beaten both home and away.
It wasn't that they couldn't compete—it was just painfully difficult.
This season, Barcelona had retained their core squad and even added Zlatan Ibrahimović.
But Real Madrid's roster had improved too!
Suker had strengthened their attack significantly.
Still, there was a problem.
Suker, Alonso, and others weren't fully integrated yet. The team lacked a cohesive system.
Ramos was conflicted.
Suker noticed the mood swings in Ramos and was confused.
From what he had heard before joining Madrid, Ramos was a straightforward brute—not much of a thinker.
Same with Pepe.
But now, having spent time with them, Suker saw things differently.
Pepe was smart, just hot-headed—otherwise, he wouldn't have lasted this long at Real Madrid.
Ramos was complicated. Strong and tough, yes, but sometimes wavering and unsure.
Or maybe Ramos just hadn't matured yet.
"Stop overthinking."Suker stood up, shook out his limbs. "Focus on your form. That's what really matters."
"Xavi's out—this is our chance. We must win this at home, and that means we need full team effort."
"Also…" Suker looked at Ramos seriously."Don't get a red card."
El Clásico always has a combustible atmosphere.
Cards fly like confetti.
A yellow is fine.
But with Ramos and Pepe's temperaments, Suker feared they'd both get sent off and cost the game.
On November 29th, Barcelona arrived in Madrid.
From the moment they appeared, the entire city booed them relentlessly.
This deep-seated rivalry, inflamed by media hype and fan culture, was boiling over.
As the Barça team bus rolled toward the stadium, Xavi's absence from the squad was confirmed.
Real Madrid fans hurled insults and abuse at the players.
The Barcelona squad was visibly angered.
The pressure of El Clásico, amplified by hostile fans, was burning into them.
"I'll shut them up!"Henry growled.
"Turn the Bernabéu into a library—that's a great idea!"
"Disgusting bunch!"Barcelona players cursed the home fans.
"Ignore them. Head to the locker room,"Puyol urged his teammates.
They didn't expect applause at the Bernabéu.
So far, only Ronaldinho had managed that feat.
"Hey Leo, everyone's watching you and Suker!"Henry joked.
"I won't lose,"Messi frowned. "But I hate being compared. Everyone's their own person. How I play has nothing to do with Suker, and vice versa."
Henry noticed Messi's irritation.
He had once thought Messi was just shy and quiet.
But over time, he saw the pride behind the silence.
Messi sometimes refused to pass—not because he couldn't, but because he didn't want to.
He only passed when he felt it was worth it. Otherwise, he went solo.
"Everyone focus!"Guardiola clapped. "Get changed and warm up."
He looked deeply worried.
Xavi's injury gave him a bad feeling.
And there was Suker...
While Guardiola publicly praised Messi as the best, he knew Suker's dominance wasn't a fluke.
When it came to brute-force attacking power, Messi couldn't match Suker.
Messi's strengths lay elsewhere.
WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO—
Boos thundered through the stadium.
During warm-ups, Real Madrid fans mercilessly jeered at Messi and the Barça squad.
But when Suker and the home side entered, the Bernabéu erupted in wild cheers.
The jumbotron showed a side-by-side comparison of Suker and Messi:
Goals this season, assists, team honors, personal accolades…
Suker had the edge in most categories.
This made the cheers even louder from Madrid fans.
Barça fans were quietly devastated.
"This is a match watched not just by Spain, but the entire world!""It's a clash of titans, a showdown between Suker and Messi!"
Commentator González rubbed his hands together, excited. "I can't wait. This will be a match for the ages!"
Both teams had identical records: 10 wins, 1 draw, no losses—31 points.
Barcelona led on goal difference.
This match would decide the mid-season champion.
Neither side would back down.
Warm-ups ended.
Players returned to their dressing rooms.
Suker and Messi locked eyes in the tunnel.
Though they had met before, this time was different.
They were now enemies, pushed into the spotlight by media hype.
They both turned away at the same time.
They understood what was at stake.
Winner takes all.Loser gets blamed.
"We must win!""Take him down!"
Each made a silent vow.
Final tactics were given.
"Coach," Suker raised his hand. "I'll drop back to defend. Don't worry about my stamina—I can run!"
Pellegrini was pleased and agreed, reminding him not to miss any counterattacks.
Suker nodded.
Soon, the players lined up in the tunnel.
Madrid in white.Barcelona in red and blue.
Serious faces.
As they walked into the roaring stadium:
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the 2009/2010 La Liga season, Round 12: Real Madrid vs. Barcelona! This is El Clásico—Suker vs. Messi!"
Starting Lineups:
Real Madrid (4-3-3)GK: CasillasDEF: Arbeloa, Pepe, Ramos, MarceloMID: Granero, Diarra, AlonsoFW: Higuaín, Benzema, Suker
Barcelona (4-3-3)GK: ValdésDEF: Maxwell, Puyol, Piqué, MárquezMID: Iniesta, Busquets, Yaya TouréFW: Messi, Henry, Bojan
As the players stood ready, the stadium buzzed with anticipation.
Suker jumped lightly in place, warming up with his signature motion.
Madrid fans called it the "Takeoff Signal."
The pressure was immense—for both Suker and Real Madrid.
Barcelona was still dangerous, even without Xavi.
Yaya Touré was strong, but could he find chemistry in time?
Suker had already set his sights on Busquets.
Though highly intelligent and composed, Busquets struggled under intense pressure.
Without Xavi to stabilize the midfield, he was a weak link.
Suker was ready to exploit it.
WHISTLE!
The match began.Barcelona kicked off.
Suker immediately sprinted forward.
Real Madrid's forwards swarmed the Barça half like wild beasts.
Suker, Benzema, and Higuaín ran non-stop, applying pressure.
When Busquets received the ball, Benzema blocked the back pass, Higuaín blocked the pass wide—
Suker lunged in with a sliding tackle!
His toe nicked the ball, but didn't win it cleanly.
Even so, González shouted:
"Had Suker intercepted that, Barcelona would've been in huge trouble!"