Barcelona are suddenly favourites to win 'El Clasico'

FC Barcelona had a rough start to the season but they appear to be on the way out of a rut. The shift in momentum comes just in time for the highly anticipated "El Clasico" against bitter rivals Real Madrid.

Barcelona started the campaign in a grim mood after the departure of Lionel Messi and a handful of other players. They were also hounded by the financial crisis that forced them to let go of not only Messi, but other big names like Antoine Griezmann.

Their mediocre results in the first few weeks of the season meant that manager Ronald Koeman has been under immense pressure. He was believed to be facing the sack on numerous occasions, but he has somehow stayed on after president Joan Laporta decided to support him and give him more time to get things in order.

The return of teenage sensation Ansu Fati from a lengthy injury and the official debut of summer signing Sergio Aguero during last weekend's 3-1 victory over Valencia have completely changed the atmosphere at the Camp Nou.

There is suddenly a positive vibe and an overall feeling of hope that the season can still be salvaged. This turn of the tide could not have come at a better time. The Blaugrana have a must-win match against Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League in midweek before they face Real Madrid on Sunday.

After losing their opening two games in the UCL group stage, Barcelona need to secure three points against Dynamo Kyiv to stay in the competition. If they win, that means they will be facing Real Madrid with the morale boosted significantly in the dressing room.

Much is at stake at "El Clasico" with Barcelona now just two points behind Real Madrid on the table. If they win, they would end up with 19 points, just one behind current leaders Real Sociedad. In other words, back-to-back wins this week could put Barcelona's season back on track.

While much has been said about the "crisis" at Camp Nou, this week can prove that their season is not yet a disaster and they can still potentially challenge for titles. However, things can also come crashing down very quickly with one slip.