Barcelona receives Real Madrid at the Camp Nou this Sunday, October 24, in what will be the first edition of The classic since the departure of the rivalry legends Lionel messi and Sergio Ramos.
The match is scheduled to start at 10:15 am ET (7:15 am PT) and will be broadcast live on ESPN +.
The clash between the most successful clubs in LaLiga will continue to have stars on both sides, with the Los Blancos forward Karim Benzema standing out with an impressive boot. However, Messi’s absence will be the front page of the match, his presence felt in his absence as the shadow over the Camp Nou that he made his own for 17 unforgettable seasons, not counting what he did in El Clásico.
Messi is the historical leader of the rivalry in goals (26), assists (14) and games (45), tying in this last line with Ramos, the former Madrid captain who now shares a dressing room with La Pulga at PSG.
Barça, without Messi and in the midst of a financial crisis and reconstruction on the field with a bet on young talent, have had problems this season domestically and internationally, with coach Ronald Koeman still on the bench amid a streak of results mediocre, including a win in their last six games.
In the LaLiga table, Barcelona is seventh with 15 points (4-3-1), 8 behind provisional leader Real Sociedad with 1 more game played.
Meanwhile, Madrid has 17 Pts in 8 PJ and leads the competition in goal difference (+12), navigating the campaign with a solid base under the direction of Carlo Ancelotti in his second stage as club coach after the departure of Zinedine Zidane in the low season.
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Benzema has been the spark plug of the club, as he has been since the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo of the club – and the rivalry with Barcelona – in 2018. The Frenchman was one of the most recent heroes in El Clásico with a goal (his 10th career against Barcelona) in a 2-1 victory, and currently leads LaLiga in goals and assists this season, placing him in the conversation of the favorites for the next Ballon d’Or.
The Catalan club will seek to stop a bad moment that it lives against its eternal rival. The Merengue have three rivalry victories in all competitions for the first time since 1977-78 (they have not won four in a row since the seven runs of 1962-65 that are a record head-to-head).
Furthermore, Barcelona’s only home win over Madrid since 2015 was in October 2018 (1-4-3 in that span).
Overall, Madrid leads head-to-head 98-52-96, including 75-35-72 in league matches.
All figures and statistics courtesy of ESPN Data.
How to watch El Clásico: Barcelona vs. Real Madrid
Watch the game on ESPN +. Download the ESPN app
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