Real Madrid vs Barcelona

The origins of El Clásico and a complete head-to-head record of the fixture as Barcelona and Real Madrid prepare for the next couple of chapters.

Only 21 hat-tricks have been scored in El Clásico history. Real Madrid Busquets' genius is better known to a modern audience. So, while Real grew to encapsulate Spain's ruling elite, Barcelona, who developed their motto 'Més que un club' (More than a club), aligned strongly with Catalan nationalism. As so many of football's fiercest derbies are, the rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona is entrenched in politics. They grew to embody General Francisco Franco's dictatorship; a regime Catalonians resented deeply.

After a draw against Atlético in LaLiga, Real Madrid will try to get back to winning ways when they host Barcelona at the Bernabéu in the Copa del Rey ...

Real Madrid vs Barcelona preview How to watch Real Madrid vs Barcelona When does Real Madrid vs Barcelona kick off?

The two sides meet at the Bernabeu in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final tie.

Real Madrid vs Barcelona prediction Pedri and Ousmane Dembele both remain out with thigh problems. For Real, confidence was high after dismantling Liverpool in Europe but they needed a late equaliser last time out against ten-man Atletico Madrid to earn a point.

On Thursday night, Copa Del Rey is back for the 1st leg of the semi final as Real Madrid host Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu.

[UEFA Europa League ](https://khelnow.com/football/competition/uefa-europa-league)by a refurbished [Manchester United](https://khelnow.com/football/team/manchester-united) as they crashed out in the Round of 32 after a 4-3 defeat on aggregate. [Real Madrid](https://khelnow.com/football/team/real-madrid-cf) have pushed to their limits and kept breathing on the necks of their rivals [Barcelona](https://khelnow.com/football/team/fc-barcelona) at the top of the [LaLiga](https://khelnow.com/football/competition/la-liga) table. Real Madrid have had some injury concerns lately but there have been more issues of fatigue in their ranks after their recent set of fixtures in a row. Barcelona have won the [Copa Del Rey](https://khelnow.com/football/competition/copa-del-rey) a record 31 times in their history, a feat achieved by no other Spanish club in the history of the competition. With Pedri missing out due to injury, Barcelona will require his guile and finesse against a much experienced midfield of Real Madrid. With a [Champions League ](https://khelnow.com/football/competition/uefa-champions-league)quarter final spot almost secured after a 5-2 drubbing of [Liverpool](https://khelnow.com/football/team/liverpool-fc) in the 1st leg, they will be looking to further wound a Barcelona outfit who have not had the best of weeks recently.

Up front, Marco Asensio could continue if Rodrygo is not fit but young forward Alvaro Rodriguez netted the leveller against Atletico to put himself in ...

[El Clasico](/topic/el-clasico). [Carlo Ancelotti](/topic/carlo-ancelotti) was already without defenders [Ferland Mendy](/topic/ferland-mendy) and David Alaba due to leg muscle injuries. [eal Madrid](/topic/real-madrid) may have to face [Barcelona](/topic/barcelona) without [Rodrygo](/topic/rodrygo) as the Brazilian forward continues to struggle with an injury ahead of the [Copa del Rey](/topic/copa-del-rey) semi-final.

Revealing all you need to know around the latest El Clasico derby.

[Raphinha](https://www.givemesport.com/tag/raphinha-dias-belloli/) and Gavi will also miss out due to suspension. [Luka Modric](https://www.givemesport.com/tag/luka-modric/) is suspended. Real Madrid have managed to bring back some consistency in their recent performances and this has seen them remain undefeated in their last five. You are definitely able to watch some of the El Clasico matches in the UK, and this latest game between Real Madrid and Barcelona follows suit, which is great news. [BT Sports account](https://www.bt.com/sport) that has a subscription. You will be able to live stream El Clasico with a This pass costs you £29.99. [Rodrygo](https://www.givemesport.com/tag/rodrygo-silva-de-goes/), [David Alaba](https://www.givemesport.com/tag/david-alaba/) and [Ferland Mendy](https://www.givemesport.com/tag/ferland-mendy/) will all miss the match. They are playing midweek due to the fact that this is a cup game and not a La Liga one. [Robert Lewandowski](https://www.givemesport.com/robert-lewandowski), [Ousmane Dembele](https://www.givemesport.com/tag/ousmane-dembele/), Pedri and [Ansu Fati](https://www.givemesport.com/tag/ansu-fati/) are all injured. This is the semi-final of the Copa del Rey, which has two legs, and this will be the first leg of the match, so it is crucial both sides have a good start. The kick-off time for those in the UK is 8:00 PM GMT.

It's El Clasico time as Real Madrid welcome Barcelona to the Santiago Bernabeu on Thursday night for the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final tie.

Ancelotti's side has the home advantage as well and Barca will do well to hang in the tie after Thursday's game. - Real Madrid and Barcelona have met two times this season. Real Madrid couldn't have chosen a better time to play their arch rivals. The Catalans avenged that loss in the Spanish Super Cup final in January. Suffice it to say, Xavi has quite a few key decisions to make ahead of the El Clasico. However, Robert Lewandowski's absence due to a hamstring injury is a massive blow for the Catalans.

Real Madrid, Barcelona, Osasuna and Athletic are the last four left standing in the Copa del Rey. Assuming we're not counting the Spanish Super Cup – won in ...

If a club had won the Copa del Rey for five years in a row (which has never happened), they would receive 22% of the performance-related prize money (€588,060) for winning it in the last year, while a club who had lost in the final of the competition for a fifth year in a row would take home €427,680 in the fifth year. However, rather than be based on one edition of the competition, it takes into account how far each club has progressed in each of the last five seasons. The Copa del Rey prize money depends on the competition’s TV revenue, which is just under €33 million per year, as things stand. The remaining 50% (€13.365 million) is performance-related. It makes giving an exact figure all but impossible, but we should be able to make a decent guess. And for

Xavi knows that the fitter, faster team tends to win Clasicos and right now, Barcelona look exhausted. Can they rally in time for Real Madrid?

Veteran defender [Gerard Pique](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/45931/Gerard-Piqué) abruptly retired, while [Memphis Depay](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/159255/Memphis-Depay) and [Hector Bellerin](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/178978/Héctor-Bellerín) also left. Today, Xavi is adapting the brand of football played under Guardiola; he's not abandoning it, but adapting it, and often dramatically. Criminal investigations are underway, and anyone who imagines that all this isn't an absolutely massive drain on the energy, confidence, attention and durability of Xavi, his staff and the playing squad is equally deluded. is a poorer playing surface, a poorer atmosphere, smaller crowds, a pitch surrounded by a running track and far less advanced matchday facilities while the main stadium, at a cost of several hundred million Euros, is renovated. [Luka Modric](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/76762/Luka-Modric) as a false centre-forward and playing a desperately risky high defensive line. [Chelsea](/soccer/team?id=363) and [Manchester City](/soccer/team?id=382). It's a deeply unsettling situation for the coach, the players and others who think that their contracts, too, are imminently due to be re-negotiated. [Qatar](/soccer/team?id=4398), this is his first full season working amid the European elite, with all the demands, pressure, focus and criticism such jobs inevitably bring. Another Frenkie De Jong style-saga, or three, looms in the summer, by which I mean predatory clubs might quite rightly realize it's a buyer's market and that they have a chance to wrench away Barcelona's best talents. Madrid were without [Karim Benzema](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/46858/Karim-Benzema), looked ragged from the intensive midseason physical training imposed on them by their Italian guru, Antonio Pintus, and had just been through two draining matches with PSG where they'd looked inept and played as if they were eliminated for 150 minutes of the 180-minute battle. The evidence -- supported by Man United showing over the past fortnight how Barcelona can be hurt by pace and an intense press -- suggests that the league leaders will do well to return to Camp Nou next month with a respectable chance of winning on aggregate. The side you expect to win across the past five Clasicos (including one friendly) since Xavi became Barcelona manager has done so.

Carlo Ancelotti has lost five times in 10 games against Barcelona. Real Madrid have been eliminated in three of their last four two-legged ties in the Copa del ...

It gives Real Madrid a 47.2% chance of taking the lead back to the Camp Nou for the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final. We have picked Ansu Fati as the player to watch because if ever there was a moment for the young star to lead the line, that time is now. It’s hard to know what team Xavi will pick for the game against Barcelona given the news of Lewandowski’s injury. A loss to Real Madrid would fix the spotlight squarely on Xavi after a rough week for the club. He doesn’t lead any statistical categories, but he hovers around the top in a variety of them. Ancelotti’s side have played a lot of football in the last two months and he has been rotating his team to keep them fresh. Ancelotti has had to rotate his midfield for a number of reasons this season and has used a variety of lineups. Vinicius Junior and Karim Benzema make up part of a devastating attack but Valverde, who often flies under the radar, has scored nine goals this season in LaLiga and the Champions League, with four assists as well. They just lost to Almería for the first time ever and have given Real Madrid hope in a LaLiga title race that should be over. Real Madrid and FC Barcelona are both vying for a place in the Copa del Rey final in May, starting with the first leg at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu on Thursday night. Xavi said the Almería game was the worst of the season and that he was disappointed after the game. They have been knocked out of the Europa League and failed to capitalise on Real Madrid’s dropped points last Saturday night against Atlético Madrid in the last week.

Real Madrid vs Barcelona: As La Liga heavyweights shift their attention to the seasons second El Clasico for the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final ...

This will be the second El Clasico of 2023. El Clasicos have never been anything less than a spectacle, and when a spot in the Copa del Rey final is on the line, things could once again get heated. The Copa del Rey first leg will mark the 252nd competitive El Clasico between Real Madrid and Barcelona.

But Barcelona just lost in the Europa League playoffs, Xavi's fourth exit from the continent in the past 18 months. They just suffered their first-ever loss to ...