Football: Octopuses catch Clasico fever

Octopuses predict the outcome of the Real Madrid-Barcelona league match.

BENALMADENA: Iker and Iniesta, two octopuses at an aquarium in southern Spain, joined in the Clasico excitement in Spain on Friday by predicting the outcome of the Real Madrid-Barcelona league match.

The heavier of the two, Iker, weighing 16 kilos (35 pounds) and named after Real keeper Iker Casillas, predicted a drawn match on Saturday.

Iniesta, just 1.5 kilos and named after Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta, forecast a Real win.

The two, who live at the Sealife Aquarium in the coastal resort town of Benalmadena, have the choice of catching a sardine in one of two boxes, one marked with the Real emblem and the other with that of Barcelona.

Iker opted for a drawn match by gobbling up both the fishes.

The two Spanish giants face each other in the league on Saturday, ahead of three more 'Clasicos' in less than three weeks, in the Spanish Cup final and the Champions League.

During the World Cup in South Africa last year, Paul, an octopus in the German town of Oberhausen, became world famous after correctly predicting all the results involving the German team, as well as that of the final, won by Spain.

Paul died on October 26, 2010.