It’s less than a week after a thrilling Champions League quarterfinals concluded. But Real Madrid and FC Barcelona will be back on the pitch for one of the most fiercely fought battles in sport, El Clasico. With all the emotions attached to the clash, one person apart from the players who will be under huge pressure is the referee. With recent controversies associated with referees for both teams who will officiate in today’s game at the Santiago Bernabéu?

The current season is about to conclude and there is very little margin for error for big teams. The has already been enough with Barcelona early in the season claiming the La Liga officials to be favoring their nemesis. However, today’s appointed referee has already created a buzz. Let us take a look at who this person is.

Referee for Real Madrid vs FC Barcelona: All you need to know

Both Real Madrid and La Liga are competing for the title race this season being #1 and #2. But it is announced that referee Cesar Soto Grado will officiate in the El Clasico fixture. Soto Grado was born in Avila, Spain, and has been a referee for five years. The 43-year-old made his debut in La Liga in 2019 before which he was a part of the second division’s panel of officials. But the Spaniard has never officiated in any El Clasico earlier which is now putting under scrutiny. Nevertheless, the referee has experience of handling 249 fixtures in his career and officiated in 98 Spanish League games.

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Meanwhile, his inexperience in El Clasico is raising questions from the Madrid-based club. According to reports, he was the VAR in last season’s game between both sides and is claimed of making errors. It was the club’s channel that released a video criticizing Soto Grado’s decision to cancel Marco Asensio’s goal considering it to be an offside.

On the other hand, reports suggest that he already was the referee in three of Los Blancos’ matches this season including, Las Palmas, Real Betis, and Real Sociedad’s games. Carlo Ancelotti’s men have been unbeaten in all of them. However, that is the same case with Barcelona who drew twice this season when he took the field. Hence the contest today is expected to be exhilarating.

How crucial will today’s game be for the La Liga title?

There are only seven games left this season and looks like only FC Barcelona has a chance to challenge the Whites. However, trailing by 8 points the task is daunting as their win will still keep the deficit to five points meaning they will need Real Madrid to drop more points. But a loss here may keep the 35-time champions under pressure as they are also competing in the UEFA Champions League.

Overall, with Barcelona bowing out of the Champions League after a sour time with referees, Xavi will be determined to prove a point. But the Madrid team which has been in top form defeating the European champions Manchester City, will look to seal their title hopes. Who will win today’s clash? Let us know in the comments.