Real Madrid to host Barcelona in La Liga's 1st El Clasico

By Emre Asikci

ISTANBUL (AA) — Real Madrid, La Liga's defending champions, will take on Barcelona Saturday in the first El Clasico of this year's Spanish league season.

The Week 11 clash will take place at 7.00 p.m. GMT at Real Madrid's home ground, the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, with Jose Maria Sanchez Martinez assigned as match referee.

Real Madrid will look to capitalize on their home advantage, aiming to leverage the energy of their supporters, while Barca will rely on their impressive form in La Liga, using their recent momentum.

With nine wins and a loss, Barcelona are currently at the top of the standings with 27 points.

Real Madrid are trailing with 24 points from seven wins and three draws.

Out of the 257 clashes between the two Spanish giants, Real Madrid leads in head-to-head results with 105 victories compared to Barcelona's 100, whereas the remaining 52 times have ended in draws.

In April, Real Madrid inflicted a 3-2 loss on Barcelona the last time the two teams met in La Liga

Barcelona defeated Real Madrid 2-1 in a friendly game they played in New Jersey ahead of the start of this season.

Barcelona's Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Marc Bernal, Andreas Christensen, Ronald Araujo and Ferran Torres will not fight for their team due to their injuries.

Also, Thibaut Courtois, David Alaba, Dani Carvajal, Brahim Diaz and Rodrygo will be absent from Carlo Ancelotti's side when they host Hans-Dieter Flick's team.