- Barcelona V Real Madrid
- Venue: Camp Nou
- Date: Sunday, 27 October
- Kick-off time: 16:15 CEST
EL CLASICO- THE FIRST ENCOUNTER OF THE SEASON BETWEEN LA LIGA’s HEAVYWEIGHTS WILL BE PLAYED ON SUNDAY, 26 OCTOBER.
Barcelona and Real Madrid go head to head and it is arguably the biggest and most anticipated game in club football on the planet. The Catalan club are at the top La Liga despite going four league matches without a win before last Saturday, while Real Madrid manager Julen Lopetegui is under pressure with his side in seventh place. This is Julen Lopetegui’s first Clasico as Real Madrid coach, and if he loses, it will probably be his last. Sergio Ramos wants to save Lopetegui’s job, he is the one who recommended him to the club after all. However, it can be hard to lead the team from the back.
Barcelona would be seven points clear of Madrid leaving their rivals floundering in mid-table and probably looking for a new coach, while Real Madrid would close the gap to one point and Lopetegui would get some deserved breathing space to start building his Real Madrid.
Who will win? This is the big question
An ill-tempered draw would not surprise. A draw because Messi’s absence brings Barca’s level down to a below-par Madrid’s and ill-tempered because there is so much at stake for Madrid. Last season Sergi Roberto and Dani Carvajal were somewhat unlikely sending is off. This season it could be the usual suspects getting involved. Ramos, Suarez, Arturo Vidal if he plays a part.
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- EL CLASSICO/ KEY NUMBERS
- TOP 5 RECENT EL CLASSICO MOMENTS
- MESSI V RONALDO
- THREE KEY BATTLES TO WATCH IN EL CLASSICO
- POSSIBLE LINEUPS FOR THE TEAMS
Here Press Association Sport looks at some of the numbers surrounding this famous fixture.
239 – Sunday’s game will be the 239th between the two sides. Madrid have won 95 matches and Barcelona 93. There have been 50 draws. 26 – Lionel Messi is the all-time top scorer in El Clasico with 26 goals, but will be sidelined by injury on Sunday. 6 – Cristiano Ronaldo holds the record for goals scored in consecutive El Clasico matches, finding the net in all six matches between the teams in 2012. 18 – In total Ronaldo has scored 18 goals against Barcelona in all competitions, matching Alfredo Di Stefano’s club record. 4 – Di Stefano still holds the record for consecutive wins as a manager, although victories in four straight games between 1983 and 1990 were spread over separate stints as manager.
10 – The largest margin of victory, Real Madrid beating Barcelona 11-1 in 1943 in the Copa del Rey.
7 – Barca’s biggest winning margin came courtesy of a 7-0 win in an exhibition match in 1913.
2– Number of goals scored by Gareth Bale in the fixture.
6 – There have been six red cards in the last eight matches.
2007 – The last time El Clasico did not feature either Messi or Ronaldo.
4 – Barcelona head into the fixture with a four-point lead over their rivals in LaLiga.
NEXT PAGE- TOP 5 RECENT EL CLASSICO MOMENTS TOP 5 RECENT EL CLASSICO MOMENTS
Ahead of the upcoming match, let's take a look to the top 5 recent El Clasico Moments.
5 – Zidane’s debut Clasico in management Following the departure of Rafa Benitez in 2016, few could have imagined what Zinedine Zidane would do when he stepped up to the first-team coach. The Frenchman’s predecessor took a 4-0 pummelling at the hands of Barcelona at home. Barcelona was unbeaten from October until April – a side in good form. Following kick-off, Madrid fell 1-0 after Pique scored. In a tense battle, Benzema equalized for Madrid 6 minutes later, however, the game dragged on. It was the 83rd minute, Sergio Ramos is sent off following a second yellow card. Madrid had already had a goal ruled out for Gareth Bale after a harsh foul call. The 85th minute arrives, Bale pings a cross toward the far post, Ronaldo takes it down on his chest, shimmies to his left taking Alves out of the game before slotting between the open legs of Bravo into the net. Whilst Madrid may not have gone on to win the league, this game was huge for the momentum heading towards that UEFA Champions League final only a month later. 4 – That Spanish Super Cup The Supercopa de Espana is one that holds both good and bad memories for Madridista’s. Despite battering Barcelona 5-1 across two legs to lift the trophy, it was marred with the controversial red card to Ronaldo and the subsequent season of disappointment. The first leg saw Pique score an own goal (which is always a good time) which was then followed by Cristiano Ronaldo’s superb goal, a signature cut in from the left before sending a pile-driver of a shot past Ter-Stegen from distance, though he was sent off shortly after in a bizarre call. Marco Asensio then piled more misery on Barcelona with his stunning goal in the 90th minute. In the second leg at home, Real beat Barcelona 2-0. A goal from Frenchman Benzema and another screamer from Asensio compounded Barca to a 5-1 demolition across both legs.
3 – Gareth Bale embarrasses Bartra
Real were coming into this game without Ronaldo, who was out with injuries. All eyes turned to the new star and world record transfer fee holder, Gareth Bale. The game finished as a 2-1 victory for Real, with Di Maria opening the scoring before an equalizer from Bartra. However, it was the 85th minute that everyone remembers.
Both Bale and Bartra were competing for a ball down the flank. The Spanish defender had seemingly won the duel when he shoved Bale aside, however, Bale shocked the world when he blitzed past Bartra with eye-watering speed, exploding into the box and firing past Pinto in goal. The goal saw Real lift the trophy over their bitter rivals before then going on to beat city rivals Atletico to lift La Decima only months later.
2 – Jose Mourinho stops the treble
In 2011, Barcelona was formidable. Under Pep Guardiola, they looked unstoppable at times and seemed to be marching toward a treble. Madrid had already suffered 5-0 loss to the Blaugrana earlier that season and was eager for revenge after they fell to a draw at home. The game was intense, the score-line staying at 0-0 and heading into extra-time. It wasn’t until the 103rd minute when Cristiano Ronaldo produced a magical leap and thundered a header into the net. The goal would prove decisive as Madrid lifted the trophy, Mourinho finally beat Pep and stopped the treble.
1 – Calma Calma
Perhaps one of the most iconic Clasico’s if not the most iconic one in recent history for Real Madrid. The importance of this game was absolutely monumental – a win would effectively seal the title for Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid, who had been sensational to this point. Barcelona had a stranglehold on the league title, winning 3 on the bounce, they were undefeated in 54 home games and Madrid only held a single win in 9 attempts against Barca before this. With Sami Khedira opening the scoring, Barca equalized 72 minutes in however on the 73rd minute, Ronaldo bagged his 54th goal of the campaign and effectively handed the title to Madrid, opening a 9 point lead with 4 games remaining.
NEXT PAGE- MESSI V RONALDO
You have to turn back time 11 years to find the last Clasico which featured neither Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.
Back to when Ronaldinho, Deco and Yaya Toure were running the show for Barcelona, Robinho, Raul and Ruud Van Nistelrooy led the line for Real Madrid and Sergio Ramos was still a right-back.
It was December 23, 2007, and Julio Baptista’s Christmas cracker of a strike found the top corner to sink Frank Rijkaard’s Barcelona, Madrid triumphing by the solitary goal.
Since then the game has been dominated by Barcelona’s Messi and Real Madrid’s Ronaldo.
However the Portuguese left for Juventus in July after nine years at the Santiago Bernabeu and Messi fractured a bone in his right arm last weekend against Sevilla, so neither can appear at Camp Nou on Sunday.
World football’s biggest game will be missing the sport’s two biggest stars.
When it comes to Clasico success, Messi has been on the winning side more often than Ronaldo, winning 17 matches against Real in all competitions.
The Argentine has played against Barca's bitter rivals 38 times in his career across a number of competitions. Of those 38 matches, Messi has tasted defeat 12 times and drawn on nine occasions.
La Liga is Messi's happiest hunting ground for Clasico success, with 13 of the 17 victories coming in that competition.
In the Champions League, Messi has never lost to Real Madrid, with a win and a draw in the two games he appeared in.
Ronaldo's success in Clasico games pales in comparison to Messi's, but it must be said that the Portuguese played in fewer encounters, having joined Real in 2009 - a number of seasons after Messi's breakthrough at Barca.
The 33-year-old was on the winning side just eight times in 30 Clasicos during his time at the Santiago Bernabeu, losing 14 and drawing eight.
Even allowing for the fact that Messi has played in eight more games, Ronaldo's win percentage of 26.7% is significantly lower than Messi's 44.7%.
NEXT PAGE- THREE KEY BATTLES TO WATCH IN EL CLASSICO
Not only is El Clasico a fiercely contested battle between two bitter rivals, but it is also a collection of individual fights for superiority between uber-competitive players who may well be prepared to bend the rules to tip the balance.
Sergio Ramos vs Luis Suarez
This duo is likely to leave a few marks on one another, as well as plenty of doubts in the referee’s mind. Sergio Ramos has been prone to errors in recent weeks and is sometimes left wanting for pace, while Suarez has had the luxury of a free international break to rest up and ensure that he isn’t feeling too jaded after a busy last 12 months. The Spanish defender is a big-game player, but he will meet his match in terms of wily, underhand tactics of stealing an inch or a free kick throughout an intense 90 minutes.
Rafinha vs Marcelo
Marcelo is a defensive weak point for Real Madrid. Although he offers flair, technical ability and a wonderful left foot, it is not uncommon for the 30-year-old to be caught out of position and exploited. It will be interesting to see the balancing act between Rafinha being able to have an impact in the final third, but also tracking back to ensure that his right back isn’t left exposed or isolated when Marcelo has a chance to push on himself. The risks taken on their flank of the pitch could have a defining effect on the scoreline at Camp Nou.
Gareth Bale vs Jordi Alba
Although Real Madrid lost at the hands of Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup in August, Gareth Bale showed a window into how he can torment a full back. Jordi Alba is not lacking pace, but he could struggle against Bale should his physicality get a chance to prove its worth. On the other hand, Bale’s impact in the final third could be limited, should he have to track back and ensure that Barça can’t readily utilise their key weapon on the overlap. Bale should be confident that he will be given the foundations and license to put far more of his effort towards getting forward than sitting back.
NEXT PAGE-POSSIBLE LINEUPS FOR THE TEAMS
How are Barcelona likely to line up?
In his four meetings with Real Madrid Valverde has played 4-4-2 in three of them. The option of four midfielders behind Messi and Suarez is affected by the absence of Messi but it could be that Coutinho plays closest to Suarez and Sergi Roberto joins Sergio Busquets, Arthur and Ivan Rakitic in midfield.
How are Madrid likely to line up?
There is no Dani Carvajal so Nacho will probably come in at right-back. Marcelo looks like being fit to play left back with Ramos partnering Raphael Varane. It will then be Toni Kroos and Luka Modric in midfield with Casemiro and Isco and Marco Asensio fighting for the place alongside Karim Benzema and Bale.
BONUS
Barcelona have unveiled the spectacular mosaic which will be on the show before kick-off at Sunday’s El Clasico at the Camp Nou.
The club has produced over 90,0000 cards which will initially show the message ‘We Color’ Football’ in yellow on a blue background.
The card will then be flipped over to reveal the same message on top of Barca’s Blaugrana colours on one side, and the colours of the Catalan flag, the Senyera on the other.
It should look a little something like this:
https://twitter.com/FCBarcelona/status/1055478024571969539
Betting & Match Odds
Barcelona are priced at odds of winning 1.98 according to VBet, while a draw is available at 3.70. A win for Real Madrid are priced at 3.73.
Click here to see all of VBet’s offers for the game, including goalscoring markets, correct score predictions and more.