Saturday sees one of the most eagerly-anticipated matches on the football calendar, with Spanish giants Real Madrid playing host to archrivals Barcelona at the Bernabeu Stadium.
'El Clasico' —
Saturday sees one of the most eagerly-anticipated matches on the football calendar, with Spanish giants Real Madrid playing host to archrivals Barcelona at the Bernabeu Stadium.
The match will see two players widely regarded as the world's best go head-to-head, with Real's Portugal powerhouse Cristiano Ronaldo facing off against Barca's Argentina ace Lionel Messi.
Portugal powerhouse v Argentina ace —
The match will see two players widely regarded as the world's best go head-to-head, with Real's Portugal powerhouse Cristiano Ronaldo facing off against Barca's Argentina ace Lionel Messi.
Head-to-head —
The pair's scoring exploits compared, with Messi in red and Ronaldo represented by the gold band.
Goals galore —
The pair's scoring exploits compared, with Messi in red and Ronaldo represented by the gold band.
Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho (left) is attempting to end the supremacy Barca coach Josep Guardiola has enjoyed in recent years. Mourinho is in his second season at Real, with Guardiola having guided Barca to the Spanish title in each of the last three seasons.
Mourinho v Guardiola —
Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho (left) is attempting to end the supremacy Barca coach Josep Guardiola has enjoyed in recent years. Mourinho is in his second season at Real, with Guardiola having guided Barca to the Spanish title in each of the last three seasons.
This graph displays the highest scorers in the history of the fixture.
Leading 'El Clasico' goalscorers —
This graph displays the highest scorers in the history of the fixture.
El Clasico preview gallery

Story highlights

Real Madrid and Barcelona will contest "El Clasico" at the Bernabeu on Saturday

Real currently lead Barca by three points at the top of the Spanish First Division

Barca's Lionel Messi and Real's Cristiano Ronaldo are two of the world's best players

CNN  — 

This weekend sees a fixture which football fans across the world look forward to at the start of every season, with Spanish archrivals Real Madrid and Barcelona going head-to-head at the Bernabeu Stadium.

On Saturday, the two sides will clash in the match which is known as “El Clasico”, with two of the sport’s finest players facing off – Real’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Barca’s Lionel Messi.

Real to topple Barca in ‘El Clasico’ clash?

Clashes between the two teams are always heated affairs and Jose Mourinho’s Real will be out for revenge after suffering a two-leg defeat in the preseason Spanish Super Cup in August.

In recent years Barca have dominated Spanish football, winning three consecutive First Division titles and being crowned champions of Europe in 2009 and 2011.

But it is Mourinho’s men who currently top the table, and Josep Guardiola’s Barca will be looking to close the three-point gap which currently exists between them and Real with victory in Madrid.