The two most-storied clubs in all of football will do battle today in a league match between Barcelona and Real Madrid. The Clasico scheduled for 3:55 p.m. ET will be held at the Nou Camp in Barcelona and can be live streamed here free. Additional TV coverage can be found on beIN Sports.
What They're Saying
Barcelona defender Gerard Pique (via Inside Spanish Football): "This is one of the most special games of the year because of the rivalry between us and because we're usually playing for titles against them. They're another great team, with great players and that makes it so much more special. You have to prepare several days in advance, but it's always a game you're really looking forward to."
Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema (via Marca): "[The BBC] work together, attack and defend. We have good games when we score and others when we don't, but we always play for the team. We only think about working together, so we win together."
Tactical Preview
Player to Watch: The health of Sergio Busquets will determine Barcelona's starting XI. Should the 26-year-old be healthy enough to feature, Javier Mascherano will return to his more prominent role at center-back. On the other hand, an unfit Busquets will push Mascherano to defensive midfield and open the door for Jeremy Mathieu to start alongside Gerard Pique. In 19 league appearances, the 31-year-old is averaging 2.7 clearances and 2.7 interceptions. He will be the focus of a Madrid attack looking to escape with a result.
Barcelona's Projected Lineup (4-3-3): Bravo; Alba, Mathieu, Piqué, Alves; Iniesta, Mascherano, Rakitic; Neymar, Messi, Suarez
Real Madrid's Projected Lineup (4-3-3): Casillas; Marcelo, Pepe, Ramos, Carvajal; Kroos, Modric, Isco; Ronaldo, Benzema, Bale
Note: Credit all statistics to officially licensed data from Opta Sports (lineups and statistics via WhoScored).
Standings
| Rnk | Team | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | +/- | Pts | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FC Barcelona | 27 | 21 | 2 | 4 | 78 | 16 | 62 | 65 | |||
| 2 | Real Madrid CF | 27 | 21 | 1 | 5 | 77 | 24 | 53 | 64 | |||
| 3 | Valencia CF | 28 | 18 | 6 | 4 | 52 | 22 | 30 | 60 | |||
| 4 | Atlético Madrid | 28 | 18 | 5 | 5 | 53 | 23 | 30 | 59 | |||
| 5 | Sevilla FC | 27 | 16 | 4 | 7 | 49 | 33 | 16 | 52 | |||
| 6 | Villarreal CF | 27 | 14 | 7 | 6 | 43 | 24 | 19 | 49 | |||
| 7 | Málaga CF | 28 | 13 | 5 | 10 | 31 | 31 | 0 | 44 | |||
| 8 | Athletic Club | 28 | 11 | 6 | 11 | 27 | 33 | -6 | 39 | |||
| 9 | Celta de Vigo | 28 | 9 | 8 | 11 | 29 | 31 | -2 | 35 | |||
| 10 | Rayo Vallecano | 28 | 11 | 2 | 15 | 33 | 50 | -17 | 35 | |||
| 11 | RCD Espanyol | 28 | 9 | 7 | 12 | 32 | 37 | -5 | 34 | |||
| 12 | Real Sociedad | 27 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 30 | 36 | -6 | 33 | |||
| 13 | Getafe CF | 28 | 8 | 5 | 15 | 24 | 39 | -15 | 29 | |||
| 14 | Eibar | 28 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 26 | 38 | -12 | 28 | |||
| 15 | Elche CF | 28 | 7 | 6 | 15 | 23 | 52 | -29 | 27 | |||
| 16 | Deportivo La Coruña | 28 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 23 | 44 | -21 | 26 | |||
| 17 | UD Almería | 28 | 6 | 7 | 15 | 23 | 42 | -19 | 25 | |||
| 18 | Levante UD | 28 | 6 | 7 | 15 | 23 | 52 | -29 | 25 | |||
| 19 | Granada CF | 28 | 4 | 11 | 13 | 18 | 43 | -25 | 23 | |||
| 20 | Córdoba CF | 27 | 3 | 9 | 15 | 19 | 43 | -24 | 18 |
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