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El Clasico: Real Madrid and Barcelona to renew rivalry today

By Vincent Ashitey
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Real Madrid and FC Barcelona resume their bitter rivalry in what promises to be one of the biggest El Clasico battles in years.

The Spanish title race is tight with nine games to go: Atletico Madrid sit top on 66 points, with Ronald Koeman’s Barca a point behind in second and Zinedine Zidane’s Real just three off Diego Simeone’s leaders in third.

La Liga glory seemed beyond Real and Barca earlier this season, but Atletico’s inability to close things out has allowed the two Clasico rivals to hunt them down.

If teams are level on points in LaLiga come the end of the season, head-to-head record - not goal difference - decides the title, which makes this Clasico potentially decisive.

READ ALSO: UCL: Real Madrid outclass Liverpool, Man City leave it late to beat Dortmund

There is also the small matter of this potentially being Lionel Messi’s final Clasico: the Argentine talisman’s future is unclear beyond the summer, but there is no way that a player who has dominated so many of these mammoth contests in years gone by will want to sign off with anything less than three points and a star performance.

El Clasico date kick-off time and venue

Real Madrid vs Barcelona is scheduled for a 7pm kick-off on Saturday, April 10, 2021.

The match will be held behind closed doors at Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano. Real’s Santiago Bernabeu stadium is undergoing renovation works, so Real’s reserve stadium is serving as their home base given no fans can attend during the coronavirus pandemic.

Real Madrid vs Barcelona team news

Los Blancos captain Sergio Ramos is still out with a calf problem along with Dani Carvajal, but Eden Hazard could return - most likely as a sub.

As for Barca, Gerard Pique and Sergi Roberto are doubts but should feature, while Philipp Coutinho and Ansu Fati are both out.

Real Madrid vs Barcelona predicted lineups

Real XI: Courtois; Lucas, Militao, Nacho, Mendy; Modric, Casemiro, Kroos; Asensio, Benzema, Vinicius

Barcelona XI: ter Stegen; Mingueza, De Jong, Lenglet; Dest, Pedri, Busquets, Alba; Messi, Griezmann, Dembele

 

Source: Evening Standard