The build-up to El Clasico tends to dominate world headlines, but this Sunday's fixture between Barcelona and Real Madrid boasts a narrative unlike any other.
Hansi Flick's Barca head into this seismic fixture knowing they will be crowned La Liga champions for a second successive season if they avoid defeat against their arch rivals Real, who must win to keep their miniscule hopes of a 37th league title alive.
The battle to finish at the summit had been fairly nip and tuck throughout the campaign, but a 10-match winning streak from the middle of February has resulted in the Blaugrana surging clear of the stuttering Blancos and opening up an unassailable 11-point advantage.
However, whilst Barcelona's preparations for the contest have been tranquil, the same cannot be said for Real Madrid.
Inharmony had been rife at the Santiago Bernabeu throughout the season but on Thursday, the situation at the club descended into chaos following an altercation between team-mates Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde.
Valverde suffered a head injury from the incident before the club revealed they had opened disciplinary proceedings against both players.
This follows a reported training ground bust-up between Antonio Rudiger and Alvaro Carreras, while the future of Kylian Mbappe has also been called into question after The Athletic revealed the star striker had clashed with a member of Alvaro Arbeloa's coaching staff. Mbappe also sparked controversy by travelling to Sardinia, Italy for a holiday whilst rehabilitating from a hamstring injury he sustained in the 1-1 draw against Real Betis at the end of April.
So all is clearly not well in the Real Madrid camp, which should make Sunday's Clasico an even more compelling watch.
Has the La Liga title ever been won in El Clasico?
In the 97-year history of La Liga, only once has a Clásico encounter determined the winner of the title.
You would have to rewind back to the final day of the 1931/32 campaign when Madrid drew 2-2 at Barcelona to clinch the first league title in the club's history.
The result ensured they finished three points above Athletic Club in the standings, and four points above Barcelona.
So a victory for Flick's outfit on Sunday would be historic for the Blaugrana; a first Clásico to secure La Liga.
