Real Madrid vs Barcelona: How to watch on TV live stream, team news, lineups & prediction
Real Madrid host their eternal rivals Barcelona in the first clasico of the season on Sunday afternoon.
Fittingly for a fixture of such stature, this is a meeting between La Liga's current top two. Both clubs have won seven of their first eight domestic matches - drawing one - and go into the weekend as the division's two highest scorers.
Here's everything you need to know about the 250th competitive edition of the biggest game in club football.
Where are Real Madrid vs Barcelona playing?
- Location: Madrid, Spain
- Stadium: Estadio Santiago Bernabeu
- Date: Sunday 16 October
- Kick-off Time: 15:15 BST / 10:15 EST / 07:15 PST
- VAR: Alejandro Jose Hernandez Hernandez
- Referee: Jose Maria Sanchez Martinez
Where can you watch Real Madrid vs Barcelona in the UK?
- Channel: Premier Sports 1
- Streaming Service: LaLigaTV
- Streaming Service: Premier Player
- Broadcast Time: 15:00 (BST)
Where can you watch Real Madrid vs Barcelona in The United States?
- Streaming Service: ESPN+
- Broadcast Time EST: 10:15
- Broadcast Time PST: 07:15
Where can you watch Real Madrid vs Barcelona in Canada?
- Channel: TSN
- Streaming Service: TSN App
- Broadcast Time (EST): 10:15
Where can you watch Real Madrid vs Barcelona Highlights?
- Channel: Premier Sports
- Stream: La Liga YouTube channel
Real Madrid vs Barcelona H2H Results (Last Five Games)
Real Madrid: 4 Wins
Barcelona: 1 Win
Draws: 0
Current Form (Last Five Games)
Real Madrid: WDWWD
Barcelona: WWLWL
Real Madrid team news
The biggest question mark looming over Real Madrid's squad hangs above the lofty head of Thibaut Courtois. The club's undisputed number one has missed the last four matches with a back injury.
Carlo Ancelotti insisted the Belgian would be available for Sunday's showdown but Courtois didn't return to training on Thursday as scheduled. For such a big game, he may be forced into the lineup but his involvement is far from certain.
Antonio Rudiger is expected to have recovered from a gash to his head but Dani Ceballos is still nursing a hamstring injury.
Real Madrid predicted lineup vs Barcelona
Real Madrid Starting 11 (4-3-3): Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Alaba, Mendy; Modric, Tchouameni, Kroos; Valverde, Benzema, Vinicius.
Bench: Lunin, Rudiger, Vazquez, Rodrygo, Camavinga, Asensio, Mariano, Vallejo, Hazard.
Barcelona team news
Both centre-backs Ronald Araujo and Andreas Christensen have been all but ruled out of the trip to Madrid with thigh and ankle injuries respectively. Hector Bellerin is also a significant doubt after suffering a knock in training, while Memphis Depay may have to miss out with a hamstring problem.
Jules Kounde has been nursing a hamstring injury since joining up with the French national team in September but returned to training on Thursday, giving him an unexpected chance of featuring this weekend.
Barcelona predicted lineup vs Real Madrid
Barcelona Starting 11 (4-3-3): Ter Stegen; Kounde, Pique, Garcia, Balde; Pedri, Busquets, Gavi; Raphinha, Lewandowski, Dembele.
Bench: Pena, Fati, Roberto, De Jong, Alonso, Alba, Torres, Kessie, Torre.
Real Madrid vs Barcelona score prediction
They may sit on top of the table but neither side bounds into El Clasico on the back of imperious form. Madrid have struggled to convert their chances while drawing two of their last four outings and Barcelona find themselves at the lowest ebb of Xavi's 11-month reign after all but exiting the Champions League in midweek.
Madrid were memorably on the end of a 4-0 thumping during Barcelona's previous visit to the capital. However, there is little chance of Ancelotti returning to the bizarre striker-less system he fielded that day, with Karim Benzema a little rusty but available.
Los Blancos have all the tools to sit back and slice through Barcelona's ramshackle rearguard to potentially inflict a defeat which would make a bad week for the Blaugrana so much worse.
Prediction: Real Madrid 2-1 Barcelona