Barcelona host Real Madrid in the first Clasico of the 2021-22 LaLiga season with both teams struggling to gather momentum.
Real Madrid travel to Barcelona to face their arch-rivals at Camp Nou. AP
Barcelona can’t be afraid of Real Madrid when the teams meet in the first Clasico of the season this weekend, Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman said Saturday.
“We have to play without fear,” the Barcelona coach said. “We have to show that we can win and that we will be motivated to win from the start.”
It will also be the first Clasico since Lionel Messi departed from Barcelona, who have been struggling on and off the field since then.
Barcelona got off to a tough start but picked up two straight victories for the first time this season ahead of Sunday’s Clasico at the Camp Nou Stadium.
They beat Valencia in the Spanish league last weekend and Dynamo Kyiv on Wednesday in a crucial victory that kept alive their chances of avoiding elimination from the Champions League’s group stage for the first time in two decades.
The match against Madrid caps a three-game home stint that Koeman called key for the club this season.
Less than 50,000 people attended the team’s past two matches, about half the capacity of the Camp Nou, which was usually nearly full when Messi was still playing there.
Barcelona sit in seventh place in the Spanish league standings, two points behind third-place Madrid, who are coming off a much-needed 5-0 victory at Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League following consecutive losses against Sheriff at home in the European competition and at Espanyol in the league.
Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has included both Eden Hazard and Dani Carvajal in the squad for Sunday’s match despite recent injuries.
When and where will the Barcelona vs Real Madrid match be played?
Barcelona host Real Madrid on 24 October 2021, Sunday at Camp Nou.
What time will El Clasico kickoff start?
Barcelona vs Real Madrid, a rivalry that is branded as El Clasico, kicks off at 7.45 PM IST (1415 GMT).
Where can I watch El Clasico live?
The match will be broadcast live on television by MTV.
Where can I follow the matches online?
The match will be streamed online on VootSelect.