REAL MADRID welcome Barcelona to the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu for the second El Clasico of the season.
The pair are in one of the tightest battles at the top of La Liga in years, with two points separating leaders Barca from Los Blancos – who head into this clash on the back of a 2-1 defeat to Manchester City.
Both sides struggled in their Champions League matches in the week, including Barcelona being held by NapoliCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Yet, victory in Madrid could see either side put one hand on the league title.
What time does Real Madrid vs Barcelona kick off?
The El Clasico will take place on Sunday, March 1.
It will kick off at 8pm UK time – that is 9pm in Spain and 3pm ET.
The clash will be held at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.
The first league fixture of the season ended in a 0-0 draw at Camp Nou – meaning victory for either side would hand them the advantage should they end up level on points in the league.
What TV channel is it on and can I live stream it?
Real Madrid vs Barcelona will be shown live on LaLigaTV, with coverage underway from 7.30pm.
Sky and Virgin customers can sign up for both Premier Sport channels and LaLigaTV for £9.99 a month.
Meanwhile, Sky subscribers can get LaLigaTV on its own for £5.99 a month.
You can also live stream via Premier Player for the same prices.
In the US, the match will be shown live on beIN SPORTS and Fanatiz USA.
What is the team news?
Real Madrid will have Sergio Ramos available, despite getting sent off in the Champions League against Man City.
But Eden Hazard will miss the match with a broken ankle, while Marco Asensio remains out injured.
Rodrygo is suspended for the clash after picking up two yellows in a game for the reverse side, Castilla.
And Mariano Diaz is expected to be sidelined despite returning to training.
As for Barcelona, they have a lengthy injury list, including Ousmane Dembele and Luis Suarez being out until the end of the season.
Sergi Roberto, Arda Turan and Jordi Alba will also miss the game, while Gerard Pique could feature after recovering from an ankle problem.
Stat attack!
- In La Liga, Barcelona have score 288 El Clasico goals, while Real Madrid have 286
- Real Madrid have not won a La Liga El Clasico since 2016 – with Barcelona able to match the unbeaten record set by Los Blancos in 2003 if they avoid defeat
- Real’s Sergio Ramos holds the record for most El Clasico appearances with 43, just one ahead of Lionel Messi
What are the odds?
Despite leading La Liga, Barcelona are the underdogs to win this clash at a price of 21/10, compared to Real Madrid’s odds of 23/20 to claim victory.
Gareth Bale has only managed two goals in the league this season, but is 5/2 to bag one against the Catalan giants.
Yet, Lionel Messi – El Clasico’s record goalscorer – is just 11/2 to score two or more.
Odds courtesy of Ladbrokes and correct at time of publication.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
