Clement Lenglet describes it as the fixture that "freezes time" and believes this week's Clasico double-header could still define the seasons of both his own Barcelona, and Real Madrid. The two clubs will meet twice in four days at the Santiago Bernabeu, today in the second leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final and then on Saturday, in a battle of first against third in La Liga.

Even victory is unlikely to project Madrid back into the title race but for Santiago Solari's side, momentum is at stake, their steady, if not unwavering, resurgence poised for a potential double boost ahead of the campaign's decisive months. Barcelona's priority may be the Champions League and their hold on La Liga too tight to shake off but it says something for the magnitude of the Clasico that Lenglet still feels its significance.