Schuster’s comments come just ahead of the La Liga meeting between the Spanish giants. The match could be the first of four meetings in the space of 18 days, as an expected Champions League semi-final and Copa del Rey final loom on the horizon.

Schuster told Marca: “Both teams are pretty equal at the back and up front. However, Barcelona are superior in midfield with the creativity of Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets. That makes them the better team at the moment.”

He added: “Everyone knows that the season will be decided in the upcoming two weeks.

“This Saturday’s match will be more important for Real Madrid than for Barcelona. If Barca lose, there won’t be too much of a problem as they’re still five points clear.

“I believe that Madrid have what it takes to beat Barcelona over one match, but I can’t see them doing it over two games. Real are Barcelona’s biggest rival both in Spain and in Europe.”

Barcelona are top of La Liga with 84 points from 31 games, while Real Madrid are eight points behind.

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The team made up of World Cup winning Spaniards and the mercurial Argentine Lionel Messi are the favourites to lift the Champions League this year, and progressed through the last stage with a 4-3 aggregate win over Arsenal. But Barca’s away record in the Champions League isn’t very good and manager Pep Guardiola has never won a knockout game away from home. Shakhtar, however, haven’t lost a home game since October 2008 and have never lost in the Donbass Arena since its grand opening in the summer of 2009.

If Barcelona turn on the style, the tie could be over by the time Shakhtar leave Spain. Barca have had the fewest shots on target against them this campaign, but face a side who have scored 26 goals in their last 10 Champions League games. Shakhtar’s proclivity to signing Brazilians works means the side boasts an impressive attacking line-up.

The last time the two sides met was in the 2009 Super CUp Final, where a Pedro goal deep in extra time saw Barcelona win 1-0. This game is by no means a formality and, in a similar poisiton to Spurs at Madrid, if Shakhtar can leave the Nou Camp still with a chance, their astonishing form at home will lean heavily in their advantage.

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Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho masterminded a memorable win over Barcelona for his previous club Inter Milan in last year’s Champions League. The Portuguese boss will be hoping that he can lead his new side to an equally remarkable victory this evening, and will largely be relying on the talent of players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Gonzalo Higuain, Xabi Alonso and Mesut Ozil in order to do so.

Jose Mourinho will be desperate to overcome his rivals in what is his first El Clasico fixture as manager of Real Madrid, and the result could go a long way to influencing the outcome of this season’s La Liga title race. Barcelona v Real Madrid is known as one of the most fierce rivalries in football, and with the current calibre of the players available for both teams, is seen as one of the greatest club fixtures around.

Real Madrid. Winners of nine European Cups. Employers of some of the best footballers that have ever played the game: di Stefano, Puskas, Zidane, the Brazilian Ronaldo. Today they have Iker Casillas, capable of Gordon Banks-esque saves like against Sevilla in October 2009, as an angry colossus in goal. Sergio Ramos bombing up the right flank, his signature hair product retailing at $80 a barrel. The new Galacticos: Angel Di Maria, Kaka, Gonzalo Higuain – and of course Cristiano Ronaldo. A coach to match the players in Jose Mourinho, who shares the most ardent Madridista’s disdain for their Catalan rivals. They have a glorious arrogance about them – unless you happen to be a Manchester United fan of viruses – and play some remarkable football.

When the two giants of Spanish football meet, sparks tend to fly. While it is never easy to beat Barcelona at Camp Nou, in last season’s match at the Santiago Bernabeu Real Madrid’s tactical naivety was exposed. The then-manager Manuel Pellegrini elected against playing Lassana Diarra as a spoiler in midfield, meaning Xavi had free reign to supply Messi and Pedro for easy finishes.

Barcelona tickets are amongst the most sought after in world football – especially when they face their arch rivals from the Spanish capital. It is called El Clásico for a reason.

Tonight the national team will board an aeroplane at Heathrow to OR Tambo Airport in Johannesburg, and then business will truly begin.

With ten days until England’s opening match against the United States, there is still time to join them in South Africa – and thousands of World Cup tickets are still on sale from just £81.

England v USA tickets at Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg are available from £153
England v Algeria tickets at Green Point Stadium in Cape Town are available from £103
England v Slovenia tickets at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth are available from £81

Although Capello’s final squad has attracted plenty of questions, there still remains a very real undercurrent of hope in England that this could be the most successful tournament since the  run to the semi-finals in 1990. A look at their projected path to the final – should they progress that far – shows that the knockout stage features some dangerous teams, but ones that can be beaten.

Having won their most recent two international friendly matches against Mexico and Japan, England are the favourites to top Group C, and in that scenario would play the second placed team in Group D: Germany, Serbia, Ghana, or Australia.

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Should they emerge from the second round victorious, they would be expected to play France in the quarter finals.

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While French coach Raymond Domenech has attracted widespread criticism for his bizarre management style – which reportedly includes selection based on astrology signs – his team still has a number of talented players in their ranks. France have also participated in two of the last three World Cup Finals, in 1998 and 2006.

If England were to triumph over the French, their semi-final would be at Green Point Stadium in Cape Town – against the best national side in football history: Brazil.

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Stars of Brazil sides over the years have included Pele, Zico, Romario, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho, and this year’s tournament offers Kaká the chance to shine behind Luis Fabiano up front. With a world class keeper in Julio César, and solid defence thanks to the likes of Lucio, this will be a tremendously difficult task for England to overcome.

There would be no shame in going out at the semi final stage, and a bronze medal might be some consolation.

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Still, should they put in an incredible performance and beat Brazil for the first time since March 1990, they would then perhaps face either Spain or Argentina in the World Cup Final.

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Capello has publicly stated that he is aiming no lower than the final, but England haven’t beaten Spain since 2001 in Sven-Göran Eriksson’s first match in charge. They have since lost the last three encounters.

The record against Argentina is a sight better, and England v Argentina matches certainly have a history of drama. A wonder goal from the eighteen year old Michael Owen could not prevent England being eliminated on penalties in the 1998 World Cup second round – with David Beckham being sent off for a kick on Diego Simeone. Still, Beckham was redeemed four years later in South Korea, when he scored the winning penalty in the 2002 Group Stage match.

Although he is contracted to Los Angeles Galaxy, there will be no Hollywood climax to Beckham’s career with a World Cup win; an injury to his Achilles tendon has ruled him out of the tournament.  Nevertheless, Beckham is set to play a role in England’s effort to claim the FIFA World Cup trophy – he will travel with the squad as moral support.

You could still do the same yourself.

The two teams are literally neck and neck at the summit of Spain’s top league, and there is no telling where the title could end up at the end of the season. Despite being dumped out of the Champions League at an early stage, Real Madrid’s league form has picked up over recent months and they have now caught up with their Catalan rivals, who had looked clear favorites at the turn of the year. With the fixture looking like an almost certain championship decider, football fans from across the globe are rushing to get Real Madrid vs Barcelona tickets.

El Clásico, as it is billed in Spain, is always a momentous occasion and can be seen as a showcase of some of the world’s greatest footballing talent, Cristano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Kaka, Thierry Henry to name a few, and this year’s fixture will have a huge influence in the final La Liga standings.

El Clásico tickets are available now but selling fast! Don’t miss your chance to be at what could be the most thrilling football fixture in the world this season.

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The two teams are neck and neck at the summit of Spain’s top league, and there is no telling where the title could end up at the end of the season. Despite being dumped out of the Champions League by an unconvincing Lyon team, Real Madrid’s league form has picked up over recent months and they have now caught up with their Catalan rivals, who had looked clear favorites at the turn of the year. With the fixture looking like an almost certain championship decider, football fans from across the globe are rushing to get Real Madrid vs Barcelona tickets.

El Clásico, as it is billed in Spain, can be seen as a showcase of some of the world’s greatest footballing talent, Cristano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Kaka, Thierry Henry to name a few, but this year the fixture means so much more, it will have a huge influence in the final La Liga standings.

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The winter break – so desired by football managers all over England – is about to be taken in Spain as La Liga breaks up for Christmas.

Before the footballers get a well-earned two-week rest there is one last set of fixtures with the most intriguing of them taking place at La Riazor.

Deportivo la Coruna take on Valencia as sixth place plays fourth with both sides seeking an early Christmas present.

A win for the home side would lift them above their visitors and possibly into fourth place. Deportivo will want to improve on their performance last weekend when they needed a late Pablo Alvarez goal to snare a draw at lowly Almeria. After a run of three straight wins they have secured just one point from their last two matches and will want to regain some  momentum.

Valencia will be smarting from a damaging home defeat to Real Madrid. Twice Los Che came back from a goal behind against Manuel Pellegrini’s team only to lose to Ezequiel Garay’s late winner and see the gap stretched  between them to six points.

One of Valencia’s scorers that day was David Villa who is out on his own at the top of the goalscoring charts with 12 goals. The lethal Spaniard is the club’s prize asset and main hope of Champions League qualification. He will be the main object of attention for Depor’s defenders.

Tickets for Deportivo La Coruna v Valencia are still available via this website with prices from £65.

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This weekend sees a few very interesting matches in La Liga that could have bearing on the rest of the season for the respective clubs.

The biggesst game is undoubtedly Valencia’s match against Real Madrid at La Mestalla. The meeting of third and second in the table is the highest profile Spanish game since El Clasico and it is a game that Valencia dare not lose if they are to stay in touch with leaders. Real Madrid, on the other hand, will know that a win will put daylight between the two teams and increase the pressure on title rivals FC Barcelona.

The Spanish an European champions are in action in the Catalonia derby against Espanyol. The fixture has been dominated by the giants of FC Barcelona and it is hard to see beyond them this time either. Still, Espanyol are hovering above the relegation zone and any kind of positive result could provide the springboard to a good new year.

The other intriguing match sees Atletico Madrid entertain Villareal. These two teams have struggled badly this year after good campaigns last time and both currently sit in mid-table obscurity.

Tickets for all three matches ara still available to buy so check out the La Liga tickets on this website if you are planning a trip to sunny Spain.

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After the conclusion of Matchday 6 in the UEFA Champions League the group stage has finally come to an end giving us the names of all the 16 teams that will fight it out in the knockout section of the competition.

No nation is currently dominating the competition though England’s Barclays Premier League and Spain’s La Liga both had three group winners – those teams constituted their total amount of representatives after Liverpool and Atletico Madrid fell at the first hurdle. There are also three teams from Italy’s Serie A left in the competition while France’s Ligue 1 and Germany’s Bundesliga each have two teams  left in the tournament. The final three spots are made up of one team each from Portugal, Russia and Greece.

The list of qualifers for the second round in full:

Bordeaux (FRA)

Manchester United (ENG)

Real Madrid (ESP)

Chelsea (ENG)

Fiorentina (ITA)

Barcelona (ESP)

Sevilla (ESP)

Arsenal (ENG)

Bayern Munich (GER)

CSKA Moscow (RUS)

AC Milan (ITA)

FC Porto (POR)

Lyon (FRA)

Inter Milan (ITA)

Stuttgart (GER)

Olympiacos (GRE)

The draw for the second round will take place on December 18.

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Group H at South Africa 2010 has a distinctly latin flavour to it with Spain being accompanied Chile and Honduras. Switzerland are the sole non-hispanic nation.

The reigning European champions will be quietly pleased with the hand that fate has dealt them as they bid to win the greatest prize in sport for the very first time. A peerless qualifying campaign saw them win every single match with only England finding the back of the net more often out of all the other UEFA members. Spain are the pre-tournament favourites alongside Brazil and it is easy to see why. A solid looking back four featuring Carlos Puyol and Sergio Ramos will sit behind a quite staggering midfield of Xabi Alonso, Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta and Cesc Fabregas though one of those quartet will almost certainly have to make way for the more defensively-minded Marcos Senna. And to top it off they have arguably the best strike partnership in international football with Fernando Torres lining up next to David Villa. They will win the group and, as long as luck does not desert them, they may well win the competition itself.

Chile completed a stunning qualifying campaign by beating Colombia 4-2 in their own back yard and came second to Brazil by a single point. They have been regular participants at the finals and that pedigree should help them to make it to the second round at least. Chile lack the star names of the past such as Ivan Zamorano and Marcelo Salas but they have plenty of goals in them which is a quality every successful team needs.

Switzerland took advantage of a favourable qualifying group to seal an automatic spot to South Africa. They could even afford a humiliating 2-1 defeat to perennial whipping boys Luxembourg on their way to topping their group ahead of Greece which shows that they are far from being the finished article. However, they are currently marshalled by two-time Champions League winning manager Ottmar Hitzfeld who will no doubt galvanise his team into a tough unit before they take the field in June.

Honduras will be competing in their first World Cup tournament since 1982 and they wil hoping to avoid the heavy defeats they suffered in Spain. They secured their place in the most dramatic fashion when USA scored an injury-time equaliser aginst Costa Rica that gave Honduras an automatic place at the expense of their Central American neighbours who would go on to lose in a playoff to Uruguay. The predatory instincts of David Suazo and the midfield leadership of Tottenham’s Wilson Palacios will give them the platform from which to launch their campaign.

Prediction: Spain to cruise through with Chile finishing second.

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Two titans of European football clash on Tuesday night in the UEFA Champions League as Juventus host Bayern Munich in a ‘winner takes all’ encounter.

The teams lie second and third respectively in Group A and with Bordeaux having already qualified for the next stage as group winners, the final spot is up for grabs in Turin.

The pressure is certainly on Bayern who have endured a torrid season both domestically and abroad and the inus will be oin them to get the victory seeing as they currently trail their rivals by a single point.

Juventus need just a draw to go through to the second round but know that playing for such a result can be extremely risky and manager Ciro Ferrara – a seasoned veteran in European competition – will be well aware of the pitfalls.

The Turin club will be full of confidence going into the game after beating Serie A leaders Inter Milan 2-1 at the weekend to put themselves back in the title race. Bayern will also take to the field on the back of a win after defeating Borussia Monchengladbach 2-1 at the Allianz Arena.

It promises to be a night of high drama in northern Italy.

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England have been named as one of the top seeds for the FIFA World Cup draw that is to take place in Cape Town on Friday.

There was fear amongst FA officials that England might just miss out on a place amongst the elite and therefore risk being paired with the likes of Spain or Brazil. Thankfully for Fabio Capello and his squad that eventuality has been avoided though with Portugal and France in Pot 2 and a strong Ivory Coast team in Pot 3 there is still no room for complacency.

The draw will be held at 17:15 GMT on Friday 4th December

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