Arguably the best rivalry in world football is headed to the USA as Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona prepare to face off in Arlington, Texas in the latest edition of the heated El Clasico. This showdown, which will take place at the AT&T Stadium at 5 p.m. ET live on ESPN+, is part of the Summer Soccer Series as both sides prepare for the upcoming La Liga season.
Real Madrid have one goal heading into the 2023/24 campaign and that is to reclaim the Spanish Primera Division crown back from the Catalan heavyweights. Last season, Ancelotti's men finished 10 points behind their bitter rivals whilst also surrendering the UEFA Champions League crown to Manchester City.
Jude Bellingham and Arda Guller have since been recruited to bolster the team, with the earlier scoring his first goal for the iconic Merengues in their recent pre-season triumph over Manchester United.
The English superstar found the back of the net against the Red Devils inside the first six minutes, capitalizing on an error of judgment from Andre Onana to dink the newly-signed Cameroonian. Joselu, one of Ancelotti's other summer acquisitions, also got on the scoresheet, scoring a spectacular bicycle-kick goal past the Premier League giants.
Prior to that, the Spanish heavyweights took on Italian giants AC Milan and while Los Blancos went 2-0 down in the first half, Vinicius Jr. and Co. emerged triumphant, beating the Rossoneri 3-2 by the final whistle.
However, the back-to-back wins do not mean all is well in Madrid. The departure of Karim Benzema to Saudi Pro League giants Al Ittihad leaves Real Madrid with a gaping hole in the no.9 slot. Joselu is a capable striker while Endrick will arrive in the Spanish capital in 2024. Nonetheless, Ancelotti's side lack a deadly striker and this shortcoming should be tested in the upcoming campaign.
The same is not true for Barcelona who boast Robert Lewandowski, one of the deadliest strikers over the last 10 years, and an incoming Vitor Roque, who is one of the hottest young strikers in world football.
In fact, the aforementioned Polish superstar showcased his goalscoring prowess in their recent friendly with Arsenal, scoring the opening goal in that eight-goal thriller. That goal ultimately counted for little as the Blaugrana lost 5-3 to the Premier League side but it is still admirable that the Catalan giants scored three past one of England's best teams despite lacking match fitness.
Xavi eluded to this during the post-match press conference as he publicly admitted to being surprised by the aggression shown by the Gunners on that day. The reason for this was simple: while this was Barcelona's first pre-season match, Arteta's side had four previous fixtures under their belt, including a tricky encounter with Manchester United.
But how will they fare in El Clasico given that this will be their second pre-season friendly? Pride will be at stake and that is an incredible driving force irrespective of fitness. The last time these two sides met was in the Copa del Rey semifinals, with Xavi's men losing 4-0 at home, thus bowing out of the tournament 4-1 on aggregate. The desire for revenge is there.
This Clasico is also one of three tough fixtures before the Liga champions kick off their title defense away to Getafe on August 13. The Blaugrana face AC Milan this midweek before returning to Catalonia to face Tottenham in the Joan Gamper Trophy. Beating Real Madrid would be the best way to enter those two aforementioned ties.
Team news
Real Madrid: Fans hoping to see newly-signed starlet Arda Guller make his debut will be disappointed as the Turkish playmaker is nursing a thigh injury. As a result, the youngster is unlikely to feature. The same is true for Dani Ceballos as the Spanish midfielder is recovering from a hamstring issue. However, Ancelotti has no other concerns, meaning Jude Bellingham should make his El Clasico debut while Modric, Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo, Courtois, Camavinga, and Tchouameni should feature.
Barcelona: The biggest boost for Xavi's men from that defeat to Arsenal was seeing Alejandro Balde on the pitch after suffering a worrisome injury last season. Additionally, Ansu Fati enjoyed a lovely cameo and will want to stay injury-free this upcoming season. Ilkay Gundogan and Oriol Romeu made their debuts and should get another nod but Inigo Martinez is still recovering from a foot injury. Pedri also featured but fellow starlet Gavi is recovering from a back issue.
Key stats
-
Despite their unforgettable 4-0 win at Camp Nou in the Copa del Rey semifinal last season, Real Madrid have lost three of the last four Clasicos.
-
However, Barcelona have won only five of their last 10 games across all competitions. It should be noted that La Liga was all but won during the majority of that 10-game run.
-
The Blaugrana boast an unrivaled record in friendlies against Real Madrid, winning 21 of the 43 encounters while losing only six.
-
However, Los Blancos still dominate the overall head-to-head record, albeit by a small margin, winning 102 times in El Clasico compared to the Catalan giants' 100 victories.
Broadcast listings
Match details, result and original broadcast info
This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
