The best bet from tonight’s Clasico, with Messi set to sit out

It’s round two of El Clasico tonight, as Barcelona host Real Madrid for the second time this season, this time in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-finals.

Ernesto Valverde’s side cruised to victory in the last meeting between the two sides despite the absence of the injured Lionel Messi, with much made of it being the first encounter between these two great rivals that did not involve either the Argentine or Cristiano Ronaldo in recent memory.

Regardless of that fact the clash back in October certainly didn’t disappoint, with Barca eventually winning 5-1, and they may have to attempt to replicate that level of performance without their magician once more. Messi picked up a knock in the draw with Valencia at the weekend and may not be risked, so visitors will no doubt be more confident of avenging their heavy defeat as a result.

While the league leaders wobbled last time out, it was an excellent weekend for Real Madrid, who will be high in confidence having won five successive matches for the first time all season. They achieved that feat in convincing fashion against an Alaves side that has proven hard to beat, and their 3-0 win represented the fifth game running in which they scored multiple times in a match - 16 in total in that spell.

They’ll certainly be confident of breaching Barcelona’s defence then, particularly given that they have done so in their last 15 matches at the Camp Nou. Both teams have scored in all 15 of said clashes, so the odds on a repeat at 1.53 are predictably low but still decent value.

There is one more lucrative bet worth taking on, however, with the responsibility set to be on the shoulders of Luis Suarez once more to provide the main goalscoring threat if Messi is not risked. The Uruguayan isn’t in the best form in front of goal, though the was also true heading into the last meeting between the sides, with the striker having scored just once in eight matches prior to hitting a hat-trick in this fixture last year.

The treble took Suarez’s tally to nine goals in his previous eight league appearances against Real Madrid, and he has found the net in four of his five home games against Los Blancos in that spell. With odds over evens (2.05) with multiple bookmakers on the 32-year-old to score at any time, that’s our top tip from tonight’s top match.