Get all the details about the first 'Clasico' of the season in Liga between Real Madrid and Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu.
WHEN IS THE MATCH?
5:15pm on Saturday.
WHERE IS THE MATCH BEING PLAYED?
Santiago Bernabeu.
WHY IS IT WORTH FOLLOWING?
It is the first Clasico of the season in La Liga between Spain's two leading sides. It is a meeting between two of the greatest teams in the world.
According to media reports from Spain, there is also an outside possibility that Lionel Messi could feature in the match against Los Blancos. Messi has been out for two months after damaging knee ligaments, but has apparently started kicking a ball again in training. Messi could start from the bench which is not a thought that is likely to fill Real Madrid's players with too much optimism.
Barcelona are three points clear of Rafael Benitez's Madrid at the summit of Liga, and know a win away from home could see them stretch that advantage to six. Which is a notable advantage even at this early stage of the season. The fierce level of competitions between these teams is perhaps best reflected in the history of the fixture.
Over 170 matches, Real Madrid have won 71, Barcelona 67 with 32 draws. It remains a difficult fixture to call either way.
CAN I WATCH IT ON TV?
Saturday’s encounter, which is the first of the 2015/16 La Liga season, is live on SS3HD and Maximo from 5pm GMT.
The weekend’s El Clasico matchup between eternal foes, Real Madrid and Barcelona, will be the 36th instalment of football’s most intense rivalry of the last decade being broadcast live on SuperSport.
Since 2003, the World of Champions has broadcast the fixture 35 times across various competitions ranging from La Liga, the UEFA Champions League, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup.
In that time it has also given birth to the Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo rivalry.
In the build up to match day, SuperSport will broadcast the popular El Clasico – The Movie, a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to stage a match of this magnitude and the match itself from different camera angles. El Clasico – The Movie is currently in circulation across SS3 HD, SS5 HD, SS7 HD and Maximo. Watch it on Saturday, November 21 on SS7 HD at 1.55pm GMT
MANAGER QUOTES
Rafa Benitez: "We'll talk to him [Benzema] and assess how he is in every sense and decide what is best for us and him. Cristiano is a fundamental player. He has the capacity to score a lot of goals, he has my absolute confidence that he will score a lot of goals and he is a guarantee and he will do that. However he does it I don't care. The important thing is that he feels comfortable, that he gets forward and scores."
Luis Enrique: "Since he [Messi] started training again (on Monday) the feelings are positive. He has recovered and he is playing at the same level as the rest of the squad. Obviously he won't be at 100 percent in physical terms due to the time he has been out but he is so important that to have him recovered at least gives us some security."
MATCH FACTS
Each of the last nine clásicos in La Liga have seen both sides score, the longest such run since 1946-1952 (13 games in a row).
Real Madrid have gone 22 La Liga home games in a row unbeaten (W19 D3) and they have just conceded one goal in their last five there.
In their last 100 La Liga home games, Real Madrid have scored 338 goals at an average of 3.38 goals per game.
On the other hand, Barcelona have now gone 15 La Liga away games in a row scoring at least once; with 41 goals in this period at an average of 2,7 goals per game.
In their last league game against Sevilla, Real Madrid conceded three goals - only one fewer than the total goals they conceded in each of previous 10 games combined (four).
Real Madrid have only won two of their last seven La Liga home games against Barcelona (D1 L4).
In all competitions, Real have three wins in the last 12 home games against Barça (D3 L6).
Real Madrid and Barcelona have faced each other seven times in the 12th game of a league season before this meeting.
Real have lost without scoring in each of the last three (2004, 2005, 2009).
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