Real Madrid vs Barcelona - Spanish La Liga - Sunday, 23/03/2014
Real Madrid are top of the table, and odds-on to win La Liga so Barcelona desperately need a win in the Clasico.
Real Madrid – FC Barcelona – The second El Clasico this season and certainly not the last one, because Real and Barcelona will meet again in the final of the King’s Cup and possibly in final matches of the Champions League.
Match info:
Date: March 23, 2014 8:00 PM GMT
Venue: Estadio Santiago Bernabéu — Madrid
Referee: Alberto Undiano
Competition: Spanish La Liga 2013/2014
Real Madrid vs Barcelona kick-off time (23-03-2014):
Jakarta (Indonesia) | GMT+7: 03:00
Spain (Madrid) | GMT+1: 21:00
Portugal and England (Lisbon/London) | GMT+0: 20:00
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) | GMT-2: 18:00
New York (United States) | GMT-5: 15:00
Los Angeles (United States) | GMT-8: 12:00
Beijing (China) | GMT+8: 04:00
Telecast & Broadcast channels:
Make sure you don’t miss one of the biggest games of the year in the soccer calendar. The game will be shown live on television and Internet. And here are the details of where to find Real Madrid vs Barcelona on television and Internet:
Where to Find Real Madrid vs Barcelona ON TV:
USA: beIN Sports play, beIN Sports en Espanol, XFINITY Latino
Spain: Canal+ 1 / HD / 30
UK: Sky Sports HD
Austria & Germany : LAOLA1.TV
Portugal: Sports TV2
Hong Kong: Now Sports 2
Switzerland: TeleClub Sport 2, TeleClub Sport LIVE
Japan: WOWOW, Sky PerfecTV LIVE
South Africa: SuperSport 3, SuperSport HD 3
Real Madrid vs Barcelona Match Preview:
Real Madrid
Real Madrid have not been beaten in 18 matches in La Liga and will want that to continue after this match. The last time they tasted defeat was against Barcelona back in October of last year. Since then they have managed 15 wins out of their 18 matches they have been unbeaten. Real Madrid are strong at the back as well as in attack. In their last 11 La Liga games they have kept 8 clean sheets.
Madrid have been installed as favourites to claim La Liga and also to win Sunday's Clasico clash, but Xabi Alonso is wary of Barcelona.
"Barca's players are very good, they know each other extremely well and have been playing together for a long time," the midfielder said.
"These matches are always intense and, historically, the two teams are always fighting it out for the biggest titles. There is maximum tension and the games are highly competitive."
And he added: "A win for us would be the best possible news - hopefully having played well and enjoyed ourselves too."
Team News:
Alvaro Arbeloa, Sami Khedira and Jese Rodriguez are all miss the Real Madrid game with injuries, Sergio Ramos returns from suspension, whilst Karim Benzema has totally overcome his minor injury.
Probable starting line-up (4-3-3): Lopez – Carvajal, Pepe, Ramos, Marcelo – Alonso, Modric, Di Maria – Bale, Ronaldo, Benzema.
Barcelona
Barcelona is in an uncomfortable situation but for that can blame only itself, because it had eight points more than Real but now has four points less and still has to go through the hellish atmosphere at the Santiago Bernabeu. There were many mistakes, mostly away, as only Valencia surprised it is at the Camp Nou. Basque country has cost it dearly as it lost to Real Sociedad and Athletic, and it drew with Osasuna in Pamplona. All that had spiced up the defeat in Valladolid two rounds ago when it hasn’t scored a goal, which was especially painful for the most efficient team of the league
but then in the last round Barcelona did restored confidence with a 7-0 win over Osasuna last weekend. In that game, Lionel Messie scored a hat-trick. That result came after the clash with Manchester City which saw them running in circles and failing to exert their dominance on the match in the Champions League. The player to watch out here will be Lionel Messi as he is their top scorer in the side.
Andres Iniesta said "We have had to go there and win to claim La Liga in other years, so if we want to repeat that this year we'll need to do the same. We'll have to play the perfect match."
And he added: "There cannot be any negative thought or doubt - what we want is to win and to put pressure on the leaders."
Team News:
Isaac Cuenca and Jonathan dos Santos remain on the sidelines. Carles Puyol is doubtful for the match, but Gerardo Martino has no other fresh injury worries ahead of the derby.
Probable starting line-up (4-3-3): Valdes – Dani Alves, Pique, Masherano, Alba – Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta – Pedro, Messi, Sanchez.
Real Madrid are top of the table, and odds-on to win La Liga so Barcelona desperately need a win in the Clasico.
Real Madrid – FC Barcelona – The second El Clasico this season and certainly not the last one, because Real and Barcelona will meet again in the final of the King’s Cup and possibly in final matches of the Champions League.
Match info:
Date: March 23, 2014 8:00 PM GMT
Venue: Estadio Santiago Bernabéu — Madrid
Referee: Alberto Undiano
Competition: Spanish La Liga 2013/2014
Real Madrid vs Barcelona kick-off time (23-03-2014):
Jakarta (Indonesia) | GMT+7: 03:00
Spain (Madrid) | GMT+1: 21:00
Portugal and England (Lisbon/London) | GMT+0: 20:00
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) | GMT-2: 18:00
New York (United States) | GMT-5: 15:00
Los Angeles (United States) | GMT-8: 12:00
Beijing (China) | GMT+8: 04:00
Telecast & Broadcast channels:
Make sure you don’t miss one of the biggest games of the year in the soccer calendar. The game will be shown live on television and Internet. And here are the details of where to find Real Madrid vs Barcelona on television and Internet:
Where to Find Real Madrid vs Barcelona ON TV:
USA: beIN Sports play, beIN Sports en Espanol, XFINITY Latino
Spain: Canal+ 1 / HD / 30
UK: Sky Sports HD
Austria & Germany : LAOLA1.TV
Portugal: Sports TV2
Hong Kong: Now Sports 2
Switzerland: TeleClub Sport 2, TeleClub Sport LIVE
Japan: WOWOW, Sky PerfecTV LIVE
South Africa: SuperSport 3, SuperSport HD 3
Real Madrid vs Barcelona Match Preview:
Real Madrid
Real Madrid have not been beaten in 18 matches in La Liga and will want that to continue after this match. The last time they tasted defeat was against Barcelona back in October of last year. Since then they have managed 15 wins out of their 18 matches they have been unbeaten. Real Madrid are strong at the back as well as in attack. In their last 11 La Liga games they have kept 8 clean sheets.
Madrid have been installed as favourites to claim La Liga and also to win Sunday's Clasico clash, but Xabi Alonso is wary of Barcelona.
"Barca's players are very good, they know each other extremely well and have been playing together for a long time," the midfielder said.
"These matches are always intense and, historically, the two teams are always fighting it out for the biggest titles. There is maximum tension and the games are highly competitive."
And he added: "A win for us would be the best possible news - hopefully having played well and enjoyed ourselves too."
Team News:
Alvaro Arbeloa, Sami Khedira and Jese Rodriguez are all miss the Real Madrid game with injuries, Sergio Ramos returns from suspension, whilst Karim Benzema has totally overcome his minor injury.
Probable starting line-up (4-3-3): Lopez – Carvajal, Pepe, Ramos, Marcelo – Alonso, Modric, Di Maria – Bale, Ronaldo, Benzema.
Barcelona
Barcelona is in an uncomfortable situation but for that can blame only itself, because it had eight points more than Real but now has four points less and still has to go through the hellish atmosphere at the Santiago Bernabeu. There were many mistakes, mostly away, as only Valencia surprised it is at the Camp Nou. Basque country has cost it dearly as it lost to Real Sociedad and Athletic, and it drew with Osasuna in Pamplona. All that had spiced up the defeat in Valladolid two rounds ago when it hasn’t scored a goal, which was especially painful for the most efficient team of the league
but then in the last round Barcelona did restored confidence with a 7-0 win over Osasuna last weekend. In that game, Lionel Messie scored a hat-trick. That result came after the clash with Manchester City which saw them running in circles and failing to exert their dominance on the match in the Champions League. The player to watch out here will be Lionel Messi as he is their top scorer in the side.
Andres Iniesta said "We have had to go there and win to claim La Liga in other years, so if we want to repeat that this year we'll need to do the same. We'll have to play the perfect match."
And he added: "There cannot be any negative thought or doubt - what we want is to win and to put pressure on the leaders."
Team News:
Isaac Cuenca and Jonathan dos Santos remain on the sidelines. Carles Puyol is doubtful for the match, but Gerardo Martino has no other fresh injury worries ahead of the derby.
Probable starting line-up (4-3-3): Valdes – Dani Alves, Pique, Masherano, Alba – Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta – Pedro, Messi, Sanchez.
