The first El Clasico of the season takes place at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday, with Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona going head to head. Despite coming into the clash as the reigning champions, the home side have failed to find their best form so far this season, with their opponents currently topping the standings.
Spanish La Liga – Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid – Saturday 23rd December – 12:00 UK Time
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Draw Best Odd of: 11/4 at Coral |
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Real Madrid
BarcelonaEl Clasico Match Preview
La Liga leaders Barcelona travel to the Spanish capital this weekend as they take on fierce rivals Real Madrid, with the visitors having failed to lose a single game so far this season. With the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi expected to line up for the two sides, many are predicting fireworks on Saturday lunchtime. Despite not starting the season in fine style, Zinedine Zidane’s men have gone five matches unbeaten in the league, ensuring that a close encounter is expected at the Santiago Bernabeu. For those still unsure of who to back, be sure to check out our top betting tip below. However, let’s first take a closer look at the two teams, starting with the home side.
Real Madrid Team News & Form
Real Madrid come into their clash with Barcelona off the back of a 5-0 win over Sevilla, however they remain 11 points behind the league leaders, albeit it with a game in hand. Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo has just four La Liga goals to his name so far this season, with the Portuguese superstar set to line up alongside the likes of Isco, Luka Modric and Toni Kross in a hugely talented starting eleven.
Meanwhile, Gareth Bale could start in Madrid after impressing during the recent Club World Cup. Madrid have the third best defensive record in the Spanish top-flight, conceding just 11 goals to date.
Barcelona Team News & Form
Barcelona defeated Deportivo La Coruna convincingly last time around, leaving them six points clear of Atletico Madrid in the standings. Lionel Messi has once again been the star of the show for Barca, with the Argentine having scored 14 La Liga goals so far this season. Having conceded just seven goals from their 16 clashes, manager Ernesto Valverde and his men will travel to the Spanish capital full of confidence.
Real Madrid vs Barcelona – Head to Head
The two teams have met 44 times in the past, with Barcelona having won 19 of such meetings, as well as registering ten draws. Barcelona also took four points from their meetings with Real Madrid last season, including a 3-2 win on the road.
Real Madrid vs Barcelona Betting Odds and Predictions
Despite sitting behind their rivals in the La Liga standings, it is Real Madrid who are the narrow favourites for victory with the bookmakers as a result of their status as the home team. Those looking to back the home side can take advantage of odds of 6/5 with Ladbrokes, while the visitors are available at odds of 21/10 with the same bookmaker.
Top Betting Tip: Real Madrid vs Barcelona
However, our top betting tip for the match is to bet on both teams scoring during the 90 minutes, which is available at odds 4/11 ahead of kick-off at Paddy Power.