Spanish powerhouses Real Madrid and Barcelona will face off in the first El Clasico of the La Liga 2022–23 season on Sunday at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium. Real Madrid, led by Karim Benzema, and FC Barcelona, led by Xavi, will compete for LaLiga dominance in Madrid on matchday 9 of the Spanish top division.
With seven victories each and a draw, Real Madrid and Barcelona both have 22 points in the La Liga 2022–23 standings. However, due to a higher goal difference, Barcelona, led by club veteran Xavi, are currently in first place. Here's all you need to know about the big match.
Big-Ticket Match
Real Madrid and Barcelona are also the two most successful clubs in Spanish football history. Real Madrid has won LaLiga a record 35 times, while Barcelona has won it on 26 occasions. Real Madrid and Barcelona have a record of 100 and 97 victories each, respectively, in 249 El Clasico games played in all competitions.
However, the Carlo Ancelotti-managed Real Madrid will start as the favorites owing to their unbeaten start to the season in all competitions. Barcelona, in contrast, has lost its last two UEFA Champions League contests.
A midweek draw against Inter Milan severely damaged Barcelona's chances of advancing to the UEFA Champions League knockout phase. This will keep Xavi Hernandez under pressure to secure a victory that will boost their momentum and prevent a humiliating loss.
According to reports, Barca's finances and budget, which have been shaky for a few years, assumed the team would advance at least as far as the UCL quarterfinals.
Real, meanwhile, has the same record as its legendary rivals—seven victories and one draw—and is still unbeaten. The defending European Cup champions already have already sealed a berth in the knockout stages.
However, Real Madrid have the bragging rights over Barcelona in LaLiga's most played fixture - the El Grand Clasico. Los Blancos have also won 5 of their last 6 matches against the Catalan giants across all competitions.
Team News
Antonio Rudiger of Germany was cleared to compete in the Clasico by head coach Ancelotti. After colliding with the goalie of Shakhtar Donetsk during Madrid's previous game, the defender had to have 20 stitches in the former Chelsea player's forehead.
Thibaut Courtois will not be playing for the hosts because the star goalkeeper was unable to recover in time for the Clasico, according to Ancelotti. Dani Ceballos is also unable to play in the Clasico due to a hamstring issue.
Head coach Xavi named 21 players for the Barcelona team by for the Clasico. Jules Kounde has been deemed totally fit, according to the legendary former captain of Barcelona, and the French defender is expected to start for the guests. Ronald Araujo, Andreas Christensen, Hector Bellerin, and Memphis Depay of Barcelona.
Predicted Line-Up
Real Madrid: Andriy Lunin; Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, David Alaba, Ferland Mendy; Luka Modric, Aurelien Tchouameni, Toni Kroos; Rodrygo Goes, Karim Benzema, Vinicius Junior.
Barcelona: Marc-Andre Ter Stegen; Sergi Roberto, Gerard Pique, Eric Garcia, Marcos Alonso; Gavi, Sergio Busquets, Pedri; Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, Ousmane Dembele.
Where and When
The Real Madrid vs Barcelona El Clasico match kicks off at 7:45 PM IST in India at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid. In the United States, the match starts at 10:15 AM (EST), 9:15 AM (CST) and 7:15 AM (PST).
In the United Kingdom, the Real Madrid vs Barcelona El Clasico match starts at 3: 15 PM.
Where to Watch
India: The Real Madrid vs Barcelona match will be broadcast on the Sports18 TV channel in India.
United States: The Real Madrid vs Barcelona, will be broadcast on the ESPN channel.
UK: The Real Madrid vs Barcelona, will be broadcast on the Premier Sports 1 channel in the UK.
How to Live Stream
Live streaming of El Clasico in USA will be available on ESPN+ in the United States.
Live streaming of El Clasico Real Madrid vs Barcelona match in UK will be available on Premier Player HD.
Live streaming of Real Madrid vs Barcelona El Clasico match in India will be available on the Voot Select app and website.
