LONDON , England ( CNN ) -- Two giants in the world of club football clash on Saturday in a game so entwined in Spanish history and culture it even has its own nickname . Many ingredients combine to create the potent El Clasico brew , a game that pitches Real Madrid against Barcelona . Barcelona give then champions Real Madrid a guard of honour before last season 's El Clasico . Rivalry between city-clubs for national dominance is common to most nations , but in Spain there is extra spice between the two largest conurbations in that Barcelona is situated in , and representative of , the autonomous region of Catalonia . The Catalan community is distinct within Spain with its own language , culture and strong sense of identity ; situated on the banks of the Mediterranean , the team is seen as an extension to this , hence the club 's motto of `` more than a club '' and the appearance of the Catalan national flag on its badge . Real , on the other hand , hail from the capital Madrid , home to the offices of government , the Royal Palace and the larger population . Indeed , Spain 's King Alfonso XIII gave the club patronage in 1920 and consequently the Royal Crown appears on the side 's badge to this day . The rifts between the two sides have been exacerbated with wrangles over player transfers down the ages too . Both clubs laid claim to the signature of the all-time great Alfredo Di Stefano , only for Real to win through and to reap the rewards of his 307 goals for the side . Barcelona fans threw a pig 's head onto the pitch in the 2002 El Clasico European Cup semifinal to vent their anger at former Barca player Luis Figo , who moved to Real two years earlier . More recently Real Madrid let the talent of Cameroon 's Samuel Eto ' o leave their ranks , only for the striker to move to Barca where he has so far netted over one hundred goals . Another thorn in the side of Barcelona fans is the edge Real have over their rivals in the silverware stakes : since the first meeting of the clubs in 1902 , Real have accumulated 31 league championships and a record 9 European Cups against Barcelona 's tally of 18 league titles and two European Cups . Which way do you think El Clasico and the Primera Liga title will go ? Let us know in the Sound Off box below . With this in mind , Saturday 's meeting between the two clubs at Madrid 's Santiago Bernabeu stadium , which can hold over 70-thousand passionate fans , threatens to be as explosive as ever . Especially as this season , under the tutelage of Catalan manager Pep Guardiola , Barcelona have seen their 12-point lead at the top of the table eaten up by their previously written-off arch-rivals . So could the destiny of this year 's Primera Liga hinge on the second installment of this season 's El Clasico ? Below are the viewpoints of two ardent fans ahead of the game : . Dani Linares-Lopez , Real Madrid fan : . Real fan Dani Linares shares a pre-El Clasico drink with a fellow fanatic befores last season 's game . `` I 'm a Real Madrid supporter -- we ca n't fear the Catalans . I was at the Bernabeu last year when Madrid beat Barcelona 4-1 and they had to give our players a guard of honor as the champions . It was beautiful . `` We 're out to take the title again as we 've got nothing else to focus on . We 'll go out all guns blazing and I think we 'll win because we 're more up for it than they are . `` I do think Barcelona will still win the league by a point , though . But you never know because Barcelona have the Champions League and the Spanish Cup final to distract them and a few injuries would change things . `` Some bookmakers paid out on Barcelona winning the title after they beat Madrid at the Camp Nou . Everyone thought it was all over , even me . But Juande Ramos has turned it around by training the players harder and now they 're really fit . We 've been winning ugly but we 've kept on winning . Ramos should be given the job permanently if we win the title . '' Prediction : 2-1 or 3-2 to Real Madrid . Reda Benzakour , Barcelona fan : . Barca fan Reda Benzakour with Barcelona forward Lionel Messi . `` As a Barca fan El Clasico is THE game that I look forward for the whole season . Last year was a frustrating and bitter experience . Frustrating during the first leg in Camp Nou where Barca dominated the whole game but failed to score an equalizer . Bitter because during the second leg at the Bernabeu , we were humiliated by the score and the Barca players gave a `` guard of honor '' for Real players for the title won before the game . `` As a Barca fan , this was the worst of scenarios and the culmination of years of humiliation . Real will have to attack if they want to win this game and stay in the race for the title . But I 'm confident that Barca will bring a good result from Madrid . Also I 'm sure the Barca players are keen to avenge last year 's humiliation . It will decide the title because if we win it will give us a 7 point-lead and confidence to go forward and for Real it will take the wind out of their sails . '' Prediction 1-1 .
Fans of Real Madrid and Barcelona attend Saturday 's El Clasico . Barcelona travel to Barcelona four points clear of Real with five league games remaining . Let us have your thoughts on the two clubs and the match in the Sound Off .