The Spanish newspaper 'Mundo Deportivo' reported that FC Barcelona is facing a busy and crucial period in the season, following their defeat against Real Madrid in the recent Clasico at the Santiago Bernabeu, as they are set to face a marathon of tough matches in La Liga, the Champions League, and the Copa del Rey.

The newspaper clarified that the Catalan team, led by coach Hans Flick, is currently trailing by five points behind Real Madrid, a gap that can only be compensated if the team maintains its pace in the coming weeks, and the two teams will not meet again until a potential match in the Spanish Super Cup final on January 11, giving each side a long series of encounters before that date.

According to the report, Barcelona will play eight league matches, three Champions League matches, and one Copa del Rey match until then, with the team playing five matches at home and six matches away, including tough encounters against Club Brugge, Celta Vigo, Chelsea, Real Betis, Villarreal, and Espanyol.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid, led by Spaniard Xabi Alonso, will face five consecutive away matches after meeting Valencia at the Bernabeu, where they will face Liverpool at Anfield, Rayo Vallecano, Elche, Girona, and Deportivo Alaves, a series that could represent a significant test for the white team in their quest to maintain the lead.

The newspaper added that the Spanish Super Cup always represents a turning point in the middle of the season, as the team that wins the title in recent seasons, since the tournament was moved to Saudi Arabia, is the same team that later wins the La Liga title, which has happened twice with Barcelona and twice with Real Madrid.

The newspaper also noted that Barcelona won the 2023 edition under Xavi Hernandez with a score of 3-1, then repeated its dominance in the following edition with Hans Flick with a score of 5-2, and during that time Real Madrid was unable to win any other Clasico in the cup or league until just before the last match between the two teams.