In-form Real look for historic Nou Camp victory

Real Madrid will run out at the Nou Camp on Saturday to an ear-shattering round of whistles, jeers and insults from a Barcelona crowd sick of Real's undeniable superiority and their own side's slide into mediocrity.

Real will make the 600-kilometre trip to the coast in anticipation of an historic win over a Barcelona team no nearer to shifting the balance of power back their way, despite the money spent and changes wrought by new president Joan Laporta.

Real have not won a league match at the Nou Camp since 1983 but it will be a major surprise if that record still holds on Sunday morning.

While Carlos Queiroz's side were beating Atletico Madrid 2-0 on Wednesday to reclaim the league leadership in Spain, Barcelona were playing some of their worst football in years in a 5-1 defeat away to Malaga.

Those results left Barca in 10th place in the table, 10 points behind Real with just 14 games played and with little hope of challenging for the title.

On Saturday they will once again be without injured Brazilian playmaker Ronaldinho, the only man capable of raising Barcelona's game to anywhere near the level of Real at their best, and the players know a drastic improvement will be needed.

"It's not easy to forget a 5-1 defeat but we must put it behind us," said Dutch midfielder Philip Cocu.

"We're lucky to have the Real Madrid coming up next because it's so important for all concerned. We've taken just a point from three games but the squad will be together for this one."

The main focus of the fans' ire on Saturday will be the presence in the Real side of Luis Figo, the man whose move from Barca in 2000 made him the first of Florentino Perez's "Galacticos", paving the way for Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo and David Beckham.

Last time the two sides met at the Nou Camp, the referee had to lead the players from the field as the crowd rained down missiles on Figo as he took the corners, with even a stuffed pig's head making it on to the field amidst the mayhem.

Barcelona received a two-match ground ban for the behaviour of the crowd that night, a punishment they have yet to serve.

There has been suggestion this week that Beckham could expect a similar reception when he plays at the Nou Camp for the first time since rejecting a move to Barcelona in favour of Real earlier this year.

Barca fans were disappointed by that decision but they have no great animosity for the England captain and are unlikely to give him the Figo treatment, although he can expect a lively evening in his first Spanish derby.

"I'm not scared of playing in the Nou Camp -- far from it," Beckham told radio station Onda Cero in the build-up to the game.

"It's the sort of game we love to play and I know that winning would be something historic for Real Madrid."

"Everyone's asking me about taking the corners but I'm not worried and it's not a question of being brave. I always take the corners and I'll be taking them there as usual on Saturday."