I think that the most fascinating thing about this Clasico is the level of work rate Mourinho has Real Madrid committing to every game. both Chelsea (09) and Inter (10) were defensively orientated but got lucky goals (Essien's wunderstrike and Inter's personal volcano, Eyjafjallajökull, allowing them to gradually wear down an exhausted team after 14-hour, 2-day, 982km road trip). However, both of those teams weren't as dynamic from an attacking point that this Real Madrid team is. This Real Madrid team is capable of defending (viciously, if need be), stifling Barça's attack through sustained pressure, and attacking Barça's defense both via possession and the counter-attack. Real Madrid is the proverbial "Blood Pack" to Barça's "Blade".
But Barça has already faced this team twice, and escaped with a lucky draw (thank you, MaraVilla) and a classic 3-2 win (thank you, Cesc Fabregas) despite being fatigued and out-played over 180 minutes. And it's really that performace in the SuperCopa that has me hesitant to declare that Real Madrid will finally reverse Pep's success in the Bernabeau. There is something about Barça that just doesn't allow them to quit in big matches. We've seen it since the Pep-era started. Doesn't matter what the situation is or who is missing in defence (or attack for that matter), they find a way to win. The only failure was vs Inter, and they had massive help from a freaking volcano (we'll ignore the ref's missed penalty in the 1st leg in lieu of Sergio Busquets playing peek-a-boo in the 2nd leg).
Maybe I'm just trying to rationalize my denial. maybe I'm just drinking the kool-aid. I dunno. This is going to be a heart-pounding, nerve-wracking, ugly, UGLY, game. If we escape with a draw I'd be happy.