In the early morning of April 17th, Beijing time, the 32nd round of the Spanish Premier League, Real Madrid VS Barcelona.
This is the first of the four "El Clasico" battles between Real Madrid and Barcelona in 18 days.
Barcelona captain Puyol returned to the starting lineup, while Real Madrid deployed a "muscle" midfield, appearing intent on completely strangling Barcelona.
In this formation, Pepe's position moved from central defender to midfield.
Real Madrid's 4-3-3 formation was unexpected for everyone.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Chen Zhong, Kaka
Alonso, Khedira, Pepe
Marcelo, Cavaleiro, Albiol, Ramos
Casillas
In this lineup, the pre-game speculations about the center forward choice were all wrong; Chen Zhong moved from midfield to the forward line, taking on the role of center forward.
Evidently, Mourinho has great trust in Chen Zhong's height and aerial duel capability.
Barcelona also lined up in a 4-3-3 formation.
Villa, Messi, Pedro
Iniesta, Busquets, Xavi
