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Neymar, Suarez and Messi or Bale, Ronaldo and Benzema: who would win Nike's three-man Secret Tournament? Email adam.hurrey@telegraph.co.uk with your answer, even if it's a Pepe-Arbeloa-Chicharito curveball.
BARCELONA V REAL MADRID (8pm kick-off)
19.33 A message of festive joy from Lauren Gallagher:
Liverpool vs Manchester United & Real Madrid vs Barcelona on the same day? This day should be named the Christmas of club football
Almost, Lauren. That's transfer deadline day. Days like today are more like Easter: overindulgent, often sugar-coated and no-one's quite sure what the ultimate point is.
19.30 I enjoy watching Messi and Ronaldo - I really do - but I'd welcome this man back with open digital arms:
Pure goalscoring, with precisely none of the trimmings.
19.21 Assuming this dedicated chap in the middle even has a match ticket, he's never getting in carrying that lot.
19.13 Here's the alternative Christmas message:
19.10 The teamsheets are in!
Barcelona: Bravo; Alves, Pique, Mathieu, Alba; Rakitic, Mascherano, Iniesta; Messi, Suarez, Neymar
Subs: Ter Stegen, Montoya, Bartra, Adriano, Busquets, Xavi, Rafinha, Roberto, Pedro
Real Madrid: Casillas; Carvajal, Pepe, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo; Modric, Kroos, Isco; Bale, Benzema, Ronaldo
Subs: Navas, Varane, Hernandez, Lucas Silva, Arbeloa, Jese, Illarramendi
18.59 Evening.
There's a creeping, global dilemma facing the world's anglophone football writers. Research has found that the earth's supply of superlatives for its two greatest footballers is running perilously low, forcing some to resort to whimsical, knowing understatement instead. Luckily for you, I'm so far unaffected by the superlative drought. So, tonight, a certain little Argentine by the name of Lionel Messi goes head-to-head with a former Sporting Lisbon wonderkid Cristiano Ronaldo (whatever happened to him?!) in the small matter of™ El Clasico. Not bad, eh?
Football's cruise/crisis dichotomy dictates that Barcelona's stock is back on the rise, while Real - with a scowling Ronaldo, a boo-plagued Gareth Bale and an under-pressure Carlo Ancelotti - are feeling the strain.
Back to the main protragonists: Jason Burt suggests that Messi's recent performances - Ballon d'Or or no Ballon d'Or - give him the edge over Ronaldo, who is cutting a frustrated figure:
Heading into Sunday's El Clasico, there were two images from the build-up that appeared to sum up the contrasting fortunes of the two highest-profile clubs in the world and the two best players.
The first came last Sunday when Real Madrid beat Levante 2-0 - and the petulant reaction of Cristiano Ronaldo as his bicycle kick resulted not in a goal for him, but for Gareth Bale. Ronaldo angrily waving his arm was about himself, not about the team.
The second image was the joy in Lionel Messi's face as he congratulated Ivan Rakitic after the Croatian had smartly collected Messi's wonderful chipped cross-ball to score the goal that beat Manchester City at the Nou Camp.
It appears, also, that such is their force of personality that it almost seems impossible for Messi and Ronaldo to thrive at the same time. So, going into El Clasico at the Nou Camp, it is Ronaldo's physical and mental state that is dominating the agenda.
There has been inevitable mischief with Hristo Stoichkov stirring the pot by claiming in the Spanish sports daily AS that Real Madrid president Florentino Perez could be considering selling Ronaldo this summer.
"Messi at the moment is much better," he said. "Maybe the obsession with Messi affects [Ronaldo]."
Despite his obvious bias, it is an intriguing point that adds yet another dimension to this remarkable clash.
17.00 Good afternoon. It is the most expensive match in the world. El Clasico almost never disappoints and this one should be no different.
Twenty-seven games into the season just one point separates Spain's two premier clubs. Lionel Messi's Barcelona sit top of La Liga on 65 points with Cristiano Ronaldo and chums on 64.
It's a bit early to say this match will decide La Liga's champions but... this match will (possibly) decide La Liga's champions.
Adam Hurrey is the man in the hotseat and will be here from around 7pm GMT with all the pre-match build-up, team news and action. Do join him.
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