Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale set his sights on delivering in El Clasico after ending his nine-game goal drought against Levante, with the local media hoping the Wales international is now ready to show a "different face" against Barcelona.
With less than a week to go until Sunday's potentially decisive La Liga clash at the Camp Nou, the Madrid media is fully focused on how Carlo Ancelotti's men will fare as they look to leapfrog arch-rivals Barca.
Madrid have been in poor form since the turn of the year and Bale has drawn more media criticism than most, but the former Tottenham star scored both goals in a 2-0 win at the weekend that keeps the European champions within a point of the summit and calmed some of the attention around the club.
AS' cover on Monday morning acknowledged his contribution with the headline: "Bale therapy for the Camp Nou."
Buenos días. Arrancamos la semana del #ClasicoenAS y lo hacemos con esta portada http://t.co/t4WGyTjpsu pic.twitter.com/GaFaQ3QQEt
- AS (@diarioas) March 16, 2015
Marca, meanwhile, had a similar idea, also showing a snarling Bale on its cover with the headline: "To the Camp Nou with a different face."
'Al Camp Nou con otra cara' #LaPortada pic.twitter.com/0WIGpqGi1S
- MARCA (@marca) March 16, 2015
Bale also tweeted the same image, as well as sending out the same message that Sunday's game had set him -- and Madrid -- up well for next week's game.
Delighted to get back on the score sheet and with the win tonight. Can't wait for next week! #HalaMadrid pic.twitter.com/MSLg5fF8ud
- Gareth Bale (@GarethBale11) March 15, 2015
There was less focus on the Clasico in Barcelona, given that Luis Enrique's men must first play the second leg of their Champions League clash against Manchester City, having won the first leg 2-1.
Catalan newspaper Mundo Deportivo began the week by highlighting the form of Barcelona star Lionel Messi, who scored twice more in Saturday's 2-0 La Liga win at Eibar, writing on its cover: "Messi is scary."
The paper added that Barca's No. 10 was "buzzing" after his show at Ipurua, and an elimination of City would "propel" his side into the Clasico.
Messi mete miedo #portada #deportes http://t.co/H6YjKvvO3o pic.twitter.com/yAJbg2QJo7
- Mundo Deportivo (@mundodeportivo) March 16, 2015
The week of the Clasico usual brings an increase in "morbo" -- referring to the animosity between the two camps -- and there were indications of attempts to destabilise the opposite camp in the media.
Madrid-based El Confidencial kicked things off with a story claiming some members of the Barca dressing room were upset with Neymar after he showed frustration at being substituted early against Eibar. Unnamed teammates apparently did not like that the Brazilian, who had a four-day break in his home country last week, did not show more "empathy" with his fellow players.
Meanwhile, both Catalan sports dailies both ran stories claiming Cristiano Ronaldo appeared to have been angered that Bale, rather than the Portuguese himself, had scored the two goals against Levante.
"Tantrums d'Or" was the headline in Mundo Deportivo, while Sport went with "Madrid wins, Cristiano loses."