It’s finally upon us; the latest edition of the always thrilling Barcelona-Real Madrid clash is here, as the Blaugrana gear up to host Los Blancos the very first Clasico tie of 2016.
A whopping 10 points separates the two sides ahead of Saturday’s epic encounter, as Luis Enrique’s boys look to solidify their grip on a second consecutive Spanish Primera Division title.
Zidane’s crew, all but out of the race, could pull of a remarkable late push for the league crown should they triumph, or a surge to finish ahead of city rivals Atletico, but the question remains: who’ll win this weekend?
MSN or BBC? Which trio will come out victorious in El Clascio?Don't miss Barca vs Real Madrid: http://bit.ly/Clasico2016
Posted by LiveSoccerTV.com on Saturday, April 2, 2016
TEAM NEWS
Barca’s 18-man squad: Ter Stegen, Bravo, Piqué, Rakitic, Sergio, Alves, Turan, Iniesta, Suárez, Messi, Neymar Jr, Rafinha, Mascherano, Bartra, Munir, Alba, Sergi Roberto and Vermaelen.
Real Madrid’s 19-man squad: Navas, Casilla, Yáñez, Pepe, Ramos, Nacho, Marcelo, Carvajal, Danilo, Kroos, James, Bale, Casemiro, Modric, Isco, Cristiano, Benzema, Lucas Vázquez and Jesé.
The biggest news in the Blaugrana camp was the return of Rafinha, who after missing six months of action, is available for selection on Saturday.
Jeremy Mathieu, Sandro and Adriano miss through injury, whilst Aleix Vidal, Douglas and Masip failed to make the cut for El Clasico.
Raphael Varane is the key absentee from Zidane’s selection, as the Frenchman was ruled out with a calf injury. Kroos, on the other hand, will feature despite suffering a late injury scare during training.
HEAD TO HEAD
The last time Los Blancos traveled to Barcelona’s famous ground and came out with a win was back in the Copa del Rey back in 2013. Real Madrid’s last win at Camp Nou in La Liga came a year before that courtesy of a 2-1 victory in April 2012.
The last time these two teams met, the 10-time Champions League winners were thrashed 4-0 at home by a Messi-less Blaugrana, a result which began the end for Rafael Benitez.
One more triumph for the Catalan giants will see them go level on wins in El Clasico in all competitions with their rivals at 92-92. However, in La Liga alone, the Madrid heavyweights boast 71 wins since 1929 compared to Barca’s 68.
There have been 550 goals in El Clasico in the Spanish Primera Division, with Les Merengues in the lead with 278 strikes compared to the Blaugrana’s 272.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Of course, El Clasico is incomplete until the names of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are brought into the conversation.
Both stars will be gunning to land their names on the scoresheet, as La Pulga chases an impressive 500th career goal, as the Argentine is only one shy of this feat.
The Portuguese superstar, on the other hand, will look to maintain his lead at the top-scorer's chart with 28 goals so far. Furthermore, the 31-year-old has found the back of the net 9 times in 8 trips to Barca and will be hoping to keep up his wonderful goalscoring record.
Luis Suarez, however, should not be overlooked, as the Uruguayan has proven lethal in front of goal this campaign with 26 league goals.
Which channel is broadcasting Barcelona vs Real Madrid on TV or Online?
The famous Camp Nou will be the venue for El Clasico on Saturday, April 2, as the Blaugrana host Los Blancos in their very first encounter in 2016.
However, if you are too far away to make it to this game live, don't worry. LiveSoccerTV.com has put together some choices to make sure you don't miss out, and you can stay on top of all the action via TV, computer, phone, or tablet.
Here are some options for fans residing elsewhere in Spain and in the following countries:
- In the USA at 14:30 ET on: beIN SPORTS CONNECT U.S.A., fuboTV, beIN Sports USA, beIN Sports en Español
- In Spain at 20:30 CEST on: Canal+ Partidazo, Abono Futbol 1, Movistar TV Fútbol
- In the UK at 19:30 BST on: Sky Sports 2/HD, Sky Go UK, NOW TV UK, SKY GO Extra
- In Canada at 14:30 EDT on: beIN SPORTS CONNECT Canada, beIN Sports Canada, beIN Sports en Español
Live elsewhere? Check out our special geo-localized Barcelona vs Real Madrid broadcast page for viewing times and options for your current location.
*Note: Live broadcast data is subject to change*
KEY STATS
- Barca have won 4 and lost 2 of their last 6 games against Real Madrid in all competitions.
- The Blaugrana have lost just one of their last 7 league games at home against Real Madrid (W5 D1).
- Los Blancos are currently on a four-game winning streak, their best form since Zidane’s appointment.
- Luis Enrique has not lost for 39 straight games.
- Messi and Co. have won 20 of their last 22 home league games.
- Real Madrid are just one shy of their 100th goal at Camp Nou on Saturday
Barcelona vs Real Madrid team sheets
Barca's lineup
#FCB XI
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) April 2, 2016
13. Bravo
3. Piqué
4. Rakitic
5. Sergio
6. Alves
8. Iniesta
9. Suárez
10. Messi
11. Neymar
14. Mascherano
18. Jordi Alba#FCBlive
Real Madrid's lineup
Here's our starting line-up for tonight's match against Barcelona.#RMClasico #RMLiga #HalaMadrid pic.twitter.com/hrj7L6ANEb
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadriden) April 2, 2016
Match details, result and original broadcast info
This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
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