Real Madrid v Barcelona: La Liga – live | La Liga

More Euro focus from the boy Wilson.

Maybe soccer isn’t a commodity, its worth to be decided by its utility out there: perhaps it simply is what it’s. And that factor, no matter it’s, at the least in England, has by no means been so in style; attendance figures now, throughout the divisions, are greater even than within the post-war growth. Maybe it isn’t damaged. Maybe we don’t have to destroy this nice pyramid of interlinked communities simply because the previous elites are making such a multitude of it.

Half-time: Real Madrid 2-0 Barcelona

44 min: Barcelona pushing on, Real blissful to sit down again and soak it up, that’s the place their targets have come from.

42 min: Barcelona have to get to half-time, and Xavi wants to return to the drafting board. His crew are all at sea. Lewandowski will get a glimmer of a headed probability however Eder Miltao smothers him, and the hazard is cleared.

40 min: Arty close-ups present Lewandowski trying pained. Unlike Benzema, and even permitting for his Tom Brady-style weight loss program, he received’t be getting the possibility to play in 40 Clasicos.

38 min: Valverde snarls right into a problem. Death or glory stuff. Real have the larger aggression, and the larger perception, too.

36 min: The distinction between these groups is the standard of probability created, and likewise the calm with which they’re taken. Barca additionally haven’t any reply to Vini Jr. To suppose some name him one-dimensional. Well, it’s some dimension if that’s the case. He has destroyed the Barcelona defence.

Goal! Real Madrid 2-0 Barcelona (Valverde, 35)

33 min: Barcelona dominating territory, attempting to be affected person in in search of their second, and Kroos has to deflect the ball behind

32 min: Modric is telling Vini Jr to not be such a wally. Such participant, additionally a little bit of a whinger and complainer. He performs proper on the sting.

30 min: First reserving is Vini Jr for dissent after Kroos fouls De Jong, he can’t cease chatting.

29 min: Lewandowski has taken a whack to his chops from previous teammate David Alaba. No foul and he should wipe himself down and go once more. A drop-ball is known as. Luni virtually will get in bother with that one, virtually a De Gea. But finally the ball is launched.

27 min: Sergi Roberto, maybe relieved he isn’t having to chase Vini Jr, has provided a few crosses, and Barca are inflicting extra issues.

25 min: What a miss! Busquets will get away, and Pedri slips in Raphina and it’s Lewandowski sliding in on the again put up. He misses. He may need been offside, too. But higher from Barca.

23 min: Busquets is being sat on, man-marked, and that’s stopping the ball reaching Pedri, not to mention Lewandowski. It’s been a masterful tactical efficiency from them, their supervisor the arch-tactician Don Carlo.

21 min: Barcelona try a sluggish buildup however that permits Madrid to get again in numbers, even Benzema getting concerned. Poor previous Bob Lewandowski hasn’t been capable of get on the ball in any respect.

19 min: Valverde on the assault down the appropriate. Then Modric holds his place and possession. There’s a suggestion Mendy elbowed Raphina however nothing doing there. A hand-off, nothing extra.

17 min: Barcelona haven’t been capable of dictate play as Xavi would really like. Or like he as soon as did. Madrid’s pace on the assault and high quality in midfield dominating this one to date.

15 min: Some levers to tug for Xavi but it surely was Toni Kroos’ courageous move and consciousness that created the objective. Like Modric, he stays a grasp.

14 min: Benzema the Ballon D’Or man, was not going to overlook, and Vini Jr’s pace in opposition to poor Sergi Roberto, was by no means going to be a good struggle.

Goal! Real Madrid 1-0 Barcelona (Benzema, 12)

10 min: It’s been open fare to date, and all the higher for it. Not fairly shock and awe of eras passed by however loads of expertise on present, and two ropey defences. Vini Jr down the left is seeing loads of the ball. Big afternoon for Sergi Roberto, today a veteran.

8 min: First massive Real try. Vini Jr cuts in, throughout Sergi Roberto, and his shot deflects behind.

7 min: Madrid attempt to get Carvajal down the wing however the teenager Balde sweeps up. Barca go down the opposite finish, and Dembele will get motoring, holding up the ball, and slide in Lewandowski, whose shot is broad. There’s a flag, however that was threatening.

5 min: First Barca effort of the sport. Raphina is slotted in by De Jong and wallops one broad.

4 min: This the one hundredth Clasico on the Bernabeu, and it’s began with each groups attempting to impose their model. Barca are passing it round, Real are going direct once they can.

2 min: Early spin from the Vini Jr field of methods however this time he received’t be getting the higher of Jules Kounde. And actually falls over.

1 min: We are go on the Santiago Bernabeu, and the tifos within the nonetheless unfinished stands are reassuringly huge. Xavi, in chinos, appears intent on the sidelines. Don Carlo Ancelotti is in his go well with, and already barking directions.

Fun and video games in His Majesty King Charles III’s English Premier League.

Philip Podolsky will get in contact: “Funny how perceptions change: I don’t think that five years ago anyone would’ve omitted Suarez and Aguero from a shortlist of Millennial strikers, however select. But then five years ago few would’ve selected De Bruyne ahead of Hazard as the greatest Belgian footballer of his generation whereas now etc. Everything is in constant flux is what I’m saying.”

Stat assault from Opta. Translation right here.

5 – Ferland Mendy , from @realmadrid has not misplaced any #ElClásico in all competitions (W4 D1). Only Steve McManaman (7L 3V 4D) has performed extra official classics with out dropping than the Frenchman among the many gamers who debuted on this duel within the twenty first century. Amulet.

In objective for Madrid is Andriy Lunin, the Ukrainian, who has changed Thibaut Courtois, who hasn’t recovered from the again damage that’s saved him from enjoying within the final 4 matches.

The groups through social media.

There they’re, the lads. The Super League lads.

Sponsorship information right here, per Reuters.

Barcelona will sport the owl brand of Drake’s OVO Sound label on their jerseys as a substitute of important sponsors Spotify once they tackle Real Madrid on Sunday to mark the Canadian rapper surpassing 50 billion streams on the music platform. Barcelona, who have been one of many final main golf equipment and not using a shirt sponsor, stated the transfer was a part of their efforts to carry soccer and music collectively. Four-times Grammy award winner Drake posted a picture of the limited-edition jersey on Instagram to his greater than 120 million followers. Barça lead La Liga on objective distinction forward of Real Madrid.

Well accomplished, Drake, on trousering the £22.50 approx you get for 50 billion streams….Don’t spend it suddenly, mate.

Robert Smithson, maybe lacking my fairly poor joke, admits to pedantry: “If we’re being pedantic about the use of definite articles in Spanish and English, it would be “The first Clasico of the season”. If we’re extending pedantry to diacritics, it might be “The first Clásico of the season”. Apologies.”

(The joke being that folks name it The El Clasico like The MLS. Jokes that should defined are useless jokes so effectively accomplished, Robert, for making me really feel so small. He’s proper, in fact. )

Sid Lowe, who might be our man in Madrid later, spoke to Luis Figo, somebody who embodies the morbo of this everlasting rivalry.

I had the whole lot in Barcelona, however you suppose: ‘It’s not like I’m going to a second-rate membership.’ If it hadn’t been Madrid, perhaps I wouldn’t have gone. It’s a problem, a call based mostly on feeling valued, convincing me I used to be going to be a particularly essential piece. It might have been a cagada, a cock-up, but it surely wasn’t, thank God.

The Netflix documentary remains to be effectively value a watch.

What do these groups imply?

As predicted, Modric is again into midfield from the crew that drew 0-0 with Shakhtar in midweek. Eden Hazard drops out as Vinicius will get the nod. Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao and David Alaba are available in for Lucas Vazquez, Toni Rudiger and Nacho.

Jules Kounde is again within the line-up rather than Gerard Pique who struggled in that fateful 3-3 with in opposition to Inter within the Champions League. Frenkie De Jong additionally returns is in rather than Gavi whereas 18-year-old Alejandro Balde replaces Marcos Alonso.

The groups

Preamble