Its that time of the year again when La Liga fans can rub their hands together and look forward to a Christmas 'El Clásico.' Barcelona welcome Real Madrid to the Nou Camp in a game that has all the makings of another thriller.

Barcelona will be relaxed going into the game against Madrid simply because their forward line has begun to look threatening yet again. Samuel Eto'o announced his return with a spectacular brace against Valencia at the Mestalla in their last La Liga clash. The undervalued Eidur Gudjohnsen chipped in with a late goal to ensure Barcelona emerged comfortable winners.

However the absence of Lionel Messi will be a big blow to Frank Rijkaard. Messi will be out for at least five weeks after tearing a thigh muscle in his left leg in the Valencia clash. Messi has been a rock around whom Barcelona were building their season nicely. His absence will be a big loss for them. Barcelona are second on the La Liga table with 34 points from 16 games.

Real Madrid on the other hand maintained their four-point lead over Barcelona thanks to a clinical 2-0 win over Osasuna. Goals from Ruud van Nistelrooy and Wesley Sneijder were enough to seal a safe win for the Galacticos.

Bernd Schuster's side have launched a terrific defense to their La Liga title and although there is still a long way to go in the season, the early bets will be on Madrid keeping their title. Gabriel Heinze and Royston Drenthe returned to the side after recovering from injuries, but Christoph Metzelder, Javier Balboa and Arjen Robben are still on the road to recovery.

Real Madrid top the La Liga table with 38 points from 16 games. Last season this fixture ended in a classic 3-3 draw and fans will be hoping for more of the same this time as well. Watch Barcelona v Real Madrid Live on free-football.tv.