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MADRID -- With the clasico against Real Madrid coming up, there couldnt be a better time for Lionel Messi to end his scoring drought.Barcelona has been struggling and desperately needs a victory to stay in the Spanish league title race, and Messi could help turn things around on Saturday if he can find the net after five scoreless games against Madrid.Barcelona enters the game at Camp Nou six points behind Madrid, and another setback could leave the Catalan club in a difficult position to fight for a third straight league title.Messi hasnt played badly in recent matches against Madrid, but his last goal against his biggest rival came almost three years ago when he had a hat trick in a 4-3 win at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.The Argentina playmaker hasnt scored in the five games since, not even in the stunning 4-0 win at the Bernabeu last season, when he came off the bench in the second half after a long injury layoff. Barcelona has won two of the last five games against Madrid, but its been 400 minutes since Messi last scored.We all know what kind of player Messi is. He is one of the best in the world, Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane said Friday. We will have to keep an eye on him, but not only on him, because all of their players are very good.Since Messis hat trick in March 2014, Cristiano Ronaldo has attracted most of the headlines in the clasico, scoring three times, including the late winner at Camp Nou last season that ended Barcelonas record 39-game unbeaten streak.Theyre two exceptional players, Zidane said. Cristiano is doing exceptional, incredible things. I hope he carries on like this.Messi remains the all-time leading scorer in the clasico with 21 goals in 32 matches, but at Camp Nou its been Ronaldo who has thrived the most.The Portugal forward has 10 goals in 12 games in Barcelona, including five in the last five matches and eight in the last nine. He failed to find the net only in four of those 12 games. Messi netted only five times in those same encounters.Ronaldo has scored in each of the last two league games at the Camp Nou. He has 16 goals in 25 matches between the rivals, behind only Messi (21) and Alfredo Di Stefano (18).Messi has 15 goals in the 25 matches in which he and Ronaldo faced each other, one less than Ronaldo.Barcelona is coming off three consecutive draws, two in the league and one in the Copa del Rey, while Madrid has won six in a row.We are playing at home, against our rival, it doesnt matter if we are one point or 100 points behind in the standings, Barcelona coach Luis Enrique said. Its always a special game.Barcelona will be boosted by the likely return of Andres Iniesta, who has recovered from a knee injury that sidelined him in late October.Its great news for us, Luis Enrique said. He is a reference of Barcelonas style of play.Madrid will be without Gareth Bale because of an ankle injury. Zidanes immediate reserve in the attack, Alvaro Morata, is also out because of a hamstring ailment, so Lucas Vazquez is expected to play up front along with Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.Madrid is riding a 32-game unbeaten streak in all competitions, but Zidane said his squad will not be playing safe in Barcelona.Its not only Barcelona that needs to win this game. We also need these points, Zidane said. We are ahead but it doesnt mean anything. We dont think about drawing, winning or losing, we think about giving our best and the result is a consequence.---Tales Azzoni on Twitter: http://twitter.com/tazzoniEddie Shore Jersey Large . "I was fortunate to play many years at this level with a great organization and unbelievable teammates," said Hejduk in a statement. Custom Bruins T-shirts . -- Team after team passed on Andre Ellington in the draft. http://www.custombruinsjersey.com/ . The 27-year-old Scrivens will be joining his third NHL club since signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs as a free agent in 2010. The move also reunites with him with head coach Dallas Eakins from their time together with the American Hockey Leagues Toronto Marlies. Bruins Jerseys China . -- Bobby Ryan helped the U. Wholesale Custom Bruins Shirts .Y. - Detroit goaltender Jonas Gustavsson has earned NHL first star of the week honours after winning in his first three appearances of the season.CHICAGO -- They spoke of heartbreak and black cats and goats. And finally, Chicago Cubs fans spoke with pride about winning it all.This is new territory for these long-suffering fans and it showed on Thursday, the day after the Cubs wrapped up their first World Series championship since 1908 with a Game 7, extra-inning thriller in Cleveland against the Indians. Amid all the celebrating and relief and joy ahead of Fridays big downtown parade, there was a bit of confusion on just how to proceed.After all, 108 years of falling short is a long time.That just dawned on me yesterday that Chicagos not going to have that reputation anymore of lovable losers, said Peggy Herrington, 49, of Chicago. Were not going to fall back on that and think about the goats or anything.She and others were just fine with that.You get all the ridicule from your friends -- `lovable losers, `they always blow it, I know theyre gonna blow this, said Michael McNeela, a 66-year-old Chicago retiree who has rooted for the Cubs since he was 11. And they have to eat their words. ... I got a (championship) hat now and theyre going to see it and they have to shut up.The story of the Cubs, like so many teams (including Cleveland), is filled with sadness and what ifs. Its just that the Cubs have always seemed to come up empty in the most puzzling ways. The August collapse in 1969, which included a black cat on the field at one point, and of course the 2003 postseason when fate and a fan named Steve Bartman stepped in and suddenly a trip to the Series was gone. But those milestones will fade now, along with the fabled curse of the billy goat, leveled in 1945 -- the last time the Cubs reached the Fall Classic.I think what this does for the identity of the Cubs fan is maybe they will have to deal with less of that tired old trope of the goat, the black cat, said Lin Brehmer, a devoted fan and local radio host. Thats all in the past now. You can forget that part of our narrative.There is a new story for Cubs Nation and fans were eager to share it with each other. Thousands celebrated into the night in the streets of Wrigleyville and many bleary-eyed faces were seen on the morning commute as a new era dawned in Chicago. The Cubs returned to a heros welcome in the wee hours, with first baseman Anthony Rizzo cheered at Wrigley Fiield as he held the World Series trophy aloft.ddddddddddddMany found ways to share the joy with loved one who did not live long enough to see it for themselves, spelling out their memories in chalk on the brick walls of the ballpark. Among them was Mike Compton, 59, of suburban Arlington Heights.He passed away in January, was 91 years old, Compton said of his father. I had to come down and put his name on the brick.Others who poured out of taverns near Wrigley when the game was over to shout, sing, cry, hug and take photographs also took a few seconds early Thursday to touch statues of Cubs greats Ron Santo, Ernie Banks, Billy Williams and broadcaster Harry Caray. It was an easy way to share the event with whose long careers with the Cubs came and went without even a trip to the Series.It is sad for past generations that missed it all together, said Judy Pareti, who came from New York to stand outside the Murphys Bleachers tavern, which is in a building across the street from Wrigley .My great uncle went to every game with a scorecard and he died a few years ago, she said. He just missed all of this.She added: It is sad we are never going to see them win for the first time ever again. We lost that.Of course, the Cubs didnt make it easy. A seven-game series is always tense and the Cubs blew a 5-1 lead in the finale Wednesday night. When the Indians tied things up in the eighth inning, many feared yet another devastating chapter in the long history of Cubs heartbreak was on the way.When they tied it up it felt like it was over, they (the Cubs) had lost, said Mike Dillon, a banking executive who drove to a tavern just outside Wrigley to be among other fans . I couldnt believe they won and even going home I had to turn on the news channels to make sure it actually happened.In the end, between 11:46 p.m. and 11:47 p.m. Central time, he and others went from being the longest-suffering fans in American sports to fans of the best team in baseball.It showed the fight, the grit, the up-and-down, the history of the team, the fans and the city, said Donna Drepeau, a 50-year-old artist. It had to be that way, it couldnt come easy. That team showed Chicago what we are. ' ' '