Real Madrid vs Barcelona: El Clasico Preview, Kick-Off Time, Team News, How To Watch & Live Stream

Real Madrid can go level on points with Barcelona at the top of the La Liga table with a victory. The fixture also marks Kylian Mbappe's first El Clasico.

Danny Wolstanholme | 2 Hours Ago

October 23, 2024, Madrid, Madrid, Spain: Kylian Mbappe of Real Madrid CF during the UEFA Champions League football match between Real Madrid CF and Borussia Dortmund at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid, Spain, October 22, 2024 Madrid Spain - ZUMAa206 20241023_zsp_a206_037 Copyright: xRubenxAlbarranx / Imago

In this story:

Real Madrid

Real Madrid host Barcelona in the first El Clasico of the season. Following a victory over Celta Vigo last time out in league action, Los Blancos have the opportunity to go level on points with Barca at the top of the La Liga table. Additionally, Real Madrid could tie Barcelona’s record of 43 league games unbeaten with a victory or draw.

Carlo Ancelotti’s men head into this high-stakes fixture without a couple of key players. Thibaut Courtois and Rodrygo will miss out through injury, with both players sustaining setbacks in the club’s midweek comeback against Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League. David Alaba and Dani Carvajal are long-term absentees.

Notably, this fixture will also mark Kylian Mbappe’s first taste of the El Clasico since signing from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer.

Real Madrid Form Guide (Last 5 Games)
October 22: Real Madrid 5-2 Borussia Dortmund
October 19: Celta Vigo 1-2 Real Madrid
October 5: Real Madrid 2-0 Villarreal
October 2: Lille 1-0 Real Madrid
September 29: Atletico Madrid 1-1 Real Madrid

Meanwhile, Barcelona will be without Andreas Christensen, Ferran Torres, Marc Bernal, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, and Ronald Araujo due to injury. Eric Garcia could also miss out after struggling to recover from a recent setback.

Despite that injury list, Hansi Flick’s squad is primed for this mouth-watering encounter, coming off the back of a 4-1 victory over Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League and a 5-1 win against Sevilla in La Liga this past week.

The last time Real Madrid and Barcelona met was back in April at the Santiago Bernabéu. That night, Jude Bellingham netted a last-gasp winner to send Real Madrid within touching distance of their 36th La Liga title. The last time Barca tasted a league victory against Los Blancos was in March 2023, when Franck Kessie hit a stoppage-time winner at the Camp Nou.

MORE: El Clasico: A Look At The Last 5 La Liga Matches Between Real Madrid And Barcelona