Real Madrid vs Barcelona, El Clasico: as it happenedEl Clasico, Real Madrid vs Barcelona - Iniesta, Luis Suarez and Neymar crush pathetic Madrid 4-0, with Messi coming off bench to join the fun
19:15WrapIniesta: "We only wanted to be ourselves and we have done that. We neutralised Madrid".One of the great Clasico pastings of recent times, Madrid were as flat and lumpen as Barca were smart and snappy. Some great goals, and wonderful movement from Suarez and Neymar. The great Iniesta also getting in on the act - and all this with Messi watching most of it from the bench!Equal to any of those names on the night was young Sergi Roberto, asOliver Brown explains in his match report.There was no Lionel Messi, but Sergi Roberto proved a more than capable understudy for the evening. The 23 year-old, making only his 15th start for Barcelona, sliced through Real’s dilatory defence and timed his pass exquisitely for Luis Suárez, who displayed all his quicksilver instincts with a lethal finish into the bottom corner.The Bernabéu fell silent at the spectacle of Barcelona’s mesmeric keep-ball, encapsulated by the magically elusive Sergio Busquets, described by coach Luis Enrique as the “most intelligent footballer I have ever coached”. Real responded fractiously, with Gareth Bale fortunate not to receive a yellow card for stamping on the ankles of Jordi Alba and Cristiano Ronaldo escaping even harsher punishment for an apparent elbow into the head of Dani Alves.Read more from Oliver Brown at the Bernabeu hereSo yes. Totally one-sided, but fun to watch for the neutral. Thank you for following it with us. Goodnight.19:08FULL TIME: REAL MADRID 0 BARCELONA 0An absolute beasting, Madrid not only out-played, but out-run and out-fought. Out-classed, in fact. It could have been six or seven. Benitez will surely pay with his job, and maybe Florentino Perez will have to go as well. Results scarcely come more humiliating than this. Madrid's players looked unfit and positionally clueless. That has to be laid at the door of the manager.19:0489 minsNo consolation for thee! Ronaldo with an attacking header, and Bravo denies him with a world class save. Biscuits booked for dragging down Benzema. He did well to get his arms around him. Benzema lumpen.19:0388 minsPique, of all people, finds himself free and unmarked on the edge of the penalty area (the Madrid penalty area) after a super run and pass from Neymar. Just as he is about to line up a rare glory goal, Munir nicks in and places the shot wide. Pique is piqued.The sub Munir should have got himself on the scoresheet with either of two efforts.19:01And rightly so18:59Madrid's night is complete!Isco is given a straight red card for kicking Neymar on the left knee once the Brazillian went past him. No real complaints.18:5681 minsBenzema clambers up, via stepladder, and aims a powderpuff header at goal. Needs a cup of tea and a biscuit afterwards.larf.18:5479 minsBale and Benzema combine and the latter has a chance, he is caught offside although it's dubious. Anyway, his touch was too heavy and that is the end of that.18:5277 minsIniesta comes off, giving the armband to Messi; indeed, strapping it on for him. They kiss. As he leaves the field, even some of the home fans are applauding.18:49Talking of Suarez....GoalGOAL! He has done it again. Wonderful pass from Messi, Suarez is through, he surges forward and lifts it over the keeper, who probably went to ground too early. Real Madrid 0 Barcelona 4 (Suarez)Benitez ponders whether to take up gardening or cooking classes18:4670 minsRonaldo given offside, it was very, very tight. At the other end, Suarez is through but Ramos gets a desperate boot on his cut-back.18:4568 minsEntering the realms of embarrassing now. Messi, at walking pace, comes forward with the ball. The RM players simply do not have the legs or heart to try and close him down. All that money and hype and they cannot get 11 fit footballers on the park?18:4467 minsBale, chastised in the past for not passing to Ronaldo enough, does just that. The Portgual star is free and clear, but a wonderful save from the keeper denies him in the one-on-one.18:4165 minsVarane with some desperate defending to deny Messi, Barca are absolutely ripping them apart at the moment.18:3963 minsIf Suarez ought to have had a penalty, then Madrid would probably argue for the same here: the ball is lashed hard at Pique, hits him on the hand, a suggestion of movement from arm toward ball... Bale the forward there.18:3661 minsCarvajal soon in the game, having a shot deflected wide for a corner.18:3458 minsMarcelo off Carvajal comes on. Had Marcelo passed rather than gone for glory just after the half, this might have been different.18:3256 minsSuarez bursts into the area and that looks like he's been fouled to me by Ramos. Probably shoulda had a pen. Still, sure that won't dishearten Suarez who is a) playing brilliantly and b) bound to be on the floor in the area again within a few minutes anyway.18:31SubsJames comes off, Isco on. But more importantly, HERE IS MESSI. This is simply taking the mick from Barcelona: "we're on your manor beating you 3-0 oh and yeah and here's Messi." Rakitic the player to make way.18:28Iniesta!GoalGOAL! Better start to the second half from Madrid, but that's a distant memort now. Iniesta just allowed to amble at trotting place through the midfield - I literally have no idea where MOdric and Kroos are, and nor do their team-mates I suspect - but Iniesta potters unimpeded towards the penalty area, plays it into Suarez. The number nine with a clever backheel lay-off, Iniesta smashes the ball into the net. Glorious from Suarez. Madrid absolutely stinking up the joint. Real Madrid 0 Barcelona 3 (Iniesta 53)18:2651 minsNeymar with a freekick 22 yards out... Lovely effort, up and over the wall, curling, and brilliantly tipped over the bar. The corner is cleared.18:2449 minsGreat run Bale, whatever theye had at half time has hit the spot. Slips it to James, who lashes it at goal. My goodness that boy can hit a football. Brilliant save Bravo, turns it behind. Bar clear the corner.18:2247 minsMarcello has a barnstorming run down the left, skipping tackles, a good old fashioned BRING HIM DOWN LEGLOAS. He's into the box, he's got Ronaldo and James inside... but he opts for the shot at the near post. Wide.18:2046 minsRonaldo with the first sly foul of the half as he nudges the jumping Rakitic.18:19HALF TIME comes to an endThe players are coming back out. What changes will Benitez have made?18:09Natives restlessBig club fans are such babies18:07HALF TIME: Real Madrid 0 Barcelona 2An absolute savaging for Madrid, who look unfit, out of practice, and poorly set-up... Benitez has it all to do in the half-time team-talk.
18:0545 minsNeymar and Suarex absolutely superb, one two down the left at high pace. Suarez shoots from point-blank, and Marcello does wonderfully well to head it off the line. Rakitic with the follow up! And he is also denied by a block. The half time whistle goes, not a moment too soon for an absolutely useless Madrid side.18:0244 minsHere's Neymar again down the left, slings it over, here is Suarez in the box. Denied this time.Tell you what, it wasn't offside for the second. It was a brilliant decision from lino.17:5941 minsIniesta simply strolled through the Real Madrid central midfield there.This looks like a job-losing managerial effort for Benitez at the moment: team unfit, tactics wrong, getting opened up at will.17:56Neymar scores!GoalGOAL! Real Madrid not at the races. Iniesta runs, uses all his nous and composure to slip it through to Neymar on the left, Neymar has waaaaaaaaay too much time and space. He's sprung the offside trap, arguably fortunately, but there's no mistake as he slots the ball home and Barcelona take a worthy two-nil lead. Real Madrid 0 Barcelona 2 (Neymar 38)Nice stat Ali T.17:5537 minsWe're now entering the phase of a Clasico where it's mainly about the acting, fouling and diving. Dani Alves with a 9.6 as Sergio Ramos blocks him off. Here's a chance for Madrid though! The ball crossed from the right, great opportunity for Benzema, who fails to make contact. Oh dear. Woeful effort.17:5234 minsMadrid gunna get whupped here, unless CR7 can do something magicks. They look slow, sluggish and not really match fit.17:4830 minsMadrid break, Ronaldo running at high speed with the ball. He lays it off and is preparing to receive the return ball when Dani Alves barges into him. Clear and deliberate ploy to stop Ronaldo. As it happens, some sort of karmic justice is served because Ronaldo has elbowed Alves hard in the head. Only he will know how much intent there was. Anyway, Alves, perhaps hoping that he will be spared the yellow out of sympathy, has a lovely big roll on the floor for a while. Ref is not buying though, and once Alves has recovered, he's booked.Barcelona's Lionel Messi watches from the bench"I can haz football?"17:4628 minsThis is more like it from Madrid, they pour forward and put Barca under pressure. Biscuits has given it away! The clot, he dithers on the ball and is robbed. James smashes a snap-shot at goal but, alas, also at the goalkeeper.Mascherano gone in the groin. Replaced by Mathieu.17:4426 minsBall drilled into the RM box. Sergios Roberto! He has it on the penalty spot, he's beaten Modric (too) easily... and he has fired over.. Oh, that should have been two.17:4224 minsEvery time Bale gets the ball, pulling out to the right, he's got three Barca players for company.17:4122 minsRamos gives the ball away, playing James into trouble, Neymar is onto it and there's not much James can do other than bring him down. Booked. Freekick Barca. Weakly hit freekick from Neymar but Suarez nearly sneaks onto it at the back stick.17:4020 minsVarane tackles Suarez from the side/behind. Commentator: "Suarez has made the most of that". Surely one of the most used phrases in the language alongside "Yes, of course I would like cheese with that" and "sure, if you're buying."17:3919 minsFew challenges starting to come in, Bale on Alba, possible foot up. Ref taking a laissez faire attitude thus far.17:3617 minsExcellent work Bale, holding the ball up, and now getting it back and swinging a deep cross into Ronaldo. Dani Alves and Ronaldo in a wrestling match, hard to say definitively who is being the naughtier, but Ronaldo throws himself to the floor with no penalty awarded.17:3315 minsFirst injury as Mascherano gets a sore one on the upper inner thigh. James the assailant.17:3113 minsIt's old and new combining as the majestic Iniesta fires a lovely long ball forward, there's Sergio Roberto with another fine run, cuts it back to Rakitic, who fires well over. Madrid getting a pasting right now.17:3011 minsSuarez bang on his game, what a player he is when he's on song, just so good to watch. He powers down the inside-right channel now, slides a pass through and Damilo has to bust a gut to deny Neymar from running on to that. Oliver Brown adds:The five most expensive footballers in history are all on the pitch tonight: Bale, Ronaldo, James, Suarez, Neymar. Combined value: £367 million.17:27Suarez Scores!GoalGOAL! A superb run from S Roberto, he carves through the sluggish RM midfield, excellent pace and he times the pass to Suarez perfectly. A wonderfully timed run from El Bitey, there was not a nanosecond to spare as he sprung the offside trap, and it's a super finish into the bottom corner. Real Madrid 0 Barcelona 1 (Suarez 9)Luis Suarez scores Barcelona's first17:269 minsRonaldo now down the right, good move, great pace, he crosses hard and the keeper just about palms it away from the danger area.17:247 minsOoh, brilliant from Suarez, a delightful lay-off after a strong Alba run down the left. Finds Neymar on the 18 yard line! Terrible shot, miles over.17:225 minsThe corner cleared without drama, Barca are themselves now taking their time on the ball, both sides have already attempted getting on for 40 passes. It'd take some English teams a week to do that. Our man at the ground, Oliver Brown writes:Not only did the French Tricolore cover an entire tier of a stand, the minute’s silence here at the Bernabéu was also followed by a sustained and moving chant of ‘Paris, Paris’.17:193 minsIt's Madrid who are enjoying the early possession, the game is contested in Barca's half. Ronaldo with a dart down the left, into the area, and he has won a corner.This, though, is a SERIOUS bit of stats work and certainly tells a tale about recruitment policy.17:181 minsBarcelona kick off. The five most expensive footballers ever are all on the pitch together for the first time, factoid fans.And there's our first cheat of the evening! And it's our old friend Luis Suarez, making a song and dance about a challenge from Sergio Ramos.17:16Few last minute formalitiesPhotos, handshakes17:14A moment of remembrance for the Paris victims17:13Yeah, but what about the adverts?17:11Away days"I used to love playing the Clasico away from home, a chance to beat them at their place," says Thierry Henry17:09Rafa going to go down swinging17:07Thanks for your prediction emailsWhy not show your working? WHY do you think "Real Madrid is the winner of match", Dayen Dahnson?17:00TV coverage ahoy!andAitor Karanka and Thierry Henry - generously introduced by the presenter as "a Barcelona legend" - are in the studio.16:51Landmark for GarethAstonishing that the jury is still out, really.Lamboi Hangshing reckons it will be "Barcelona 2 Real Madrid 0". Assuming, that is that Lamboi knows it is a home fixture for Madrid, that's our first prediction of the evening. And not just a really slow match result from December 2008, the last time Barca won 2-0 at Camp Nou in the league.16:44Real Madrid line-up16:43Our first commenter of the evening16:40Sub tweetMessi may just pip David Fairclough to being the ultimate supersub.— Matthew Stanger (@MatthewStanger) November 21, 201516:36More on the teams (from AFP)Barcelona coach Luis Enrique left four-time World Player of the Year Lionel Messi on the bench for Saturday's mammoth clash with Real Madrid on his return from a two-month injury layoff.Messi has not featured since suffering knee ligament damage against Las Palmas on September 26, but hopes had been raised that he could start after he played a full part in training this week.However, with Barca leading Madrid by three points at the top of the table, Enrique has opted to ease his star man back into action with Sergi Roberto starting in attack alongside Luis Suarez and Neymar.By contrast, Real Madrid boss Rafael Benitez recalled Karim Benzema to his starting line-up after six weeks out with a hamstring injury.It is also Benzema's first appearance since the striker was charged with complicity to blackmail and conspiring to commit a criminal act in his native France in a case involving a sex tape featuring international teammate Mathieu Valbuena.Benzema is reunited with Gareth Bale, on his 100th Real Madrid appearance, and Cristiano Ronaldo up front.Meanwhile, Colombian star James Rodriguez is preferred to Casemiro in the Madrid midfield.Real Madrid (4-3-3): Keylor Navas; Danilo, Raphael Varane, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo; Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, James Rodriguez; Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema, Cristiano RonaldoBarcelona (4-3-3): Claudio Bravo; Dani Alves, Javier Mascherano, Gerard Pique, Jordi Alba; Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta, Ivan Rakitic; Sergi Roberto, Luis Suarez, Neymar16:35Nice statAlthough I am deducting half a point for calling it 'sports'.16:33Who is going to win?And who do you WANT to win?Email alan.tyers@telegraph.co.uk with your views. Or tweet @alantyers16:32Real Madrid teamNavas; Danilo, Varane, Ramos, Marcelo; James, Kroos, Modric; Bale, Benzema, Ronaldo.So that nice Karim Benzema returns to the XI, having been injured on international doody.16:30Or if you prefer...16:29Messi is on the bench!Go Leo16:24What's in a rivalry?I really enjoyed this from the excellent Rob Bagchi.If you walk along the touchline at a children’s football training session on Saturday morning, you would be forgiven for thinking you were witnessing a rather sophisticated marketing campaign for Saturday evening’s Clásico – as you will have doubtlessly learnt to call it. Across the fields you will see scores of children in the burgundy and navy hoops of Barcelona and quite a few wearing the white or silver away shirts of Real Madrid.This army of little Messis, Neymars, Ronaldos and Bales represents a victory for a kind of cultural imperialism bred both by the prodigious success of the Spanish giants and the hype their sustained investment in world-class talent has generated.Real Madrid vs Barcelona – or El Clasico as you now must call it – does not need the hype and symbolism16:24We're live!Team news, sortaSecurity is tight
When time is kick off for Real Madrid vs Barcelona?Yes, it's that time again. Club football's biggest showpiece - and arguably the finest showcase of global talent football has to offer - is ready for its first instalment of the season as Barcelona and Real Madrid meet in El Clasicothis coming Saturday, November 21. The game starts at 5.15pm UK time (or 6.15pm local time) at Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu.Kick off has been pushed back by 15 minutes to accommodate UK viewers (so you'd better watch it), because of the broadcasting law that forbids live football from being screened between 2.45pm and 5.15pm.Suarez has been in red hot formExcellent picture of Ronnie here!Where can I watch it?Live coverage of the game will be on Sky Sports 2 / Sky Sports 2 HD.You can also follow the match on our live blog.Is there any danger it might be called off after the Paris attacks?Europe is on high alert following the deadly bombings and shootings in the French capital and a friendly match between Spain and Belgium due to take place in Brussels later on Tuesday has been postponed.But the Spanish government's top sports official has sent out a message of calm and said there is no reason for Real v Barcelona to be postponed. Miguel Cardenal, the head of Spain's sports council (CSD), said officials would meet on Wednesday to discuss security at the match and steps would be taken to allow fans to attend the match "with a guarantee of normality"."We are the first ones interested in making sure nothing untoward occurs," Cardenal said. "So if anything happens that requires the public to be given certain instructions like suspending a match that will be done. The correct message is one of calm. The advice is the same as last week, to act normally and in absolute freedom."
What is the team news?There could be some big names missing, with Lionel Messi facing a race against time to be fit. The Argentine has missed the last 10 games, but he did return to training on Monday and you would have to think there is a fair chance Barca will do everything in their power to get him on the field.Still, if he does not make it, Real's problems do not magically disappear: Neymar and Luis Suarez have flourished in his absence, scoring their last 16 league goals with Barcelona winning 8 of those 10 matches.• Gerard Pique picks his world dream teamGiven that his team-mates have coped without him, it may well be that Messi only makes the bench for this match, with his long-term fitness the most important factor.Messi has missed 10 matches through injuryFor Real Madrid, Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez made their returns to action in the defeat at Sevilla but Karim Benzema missed out for, let's say, 'other' reasons, though he has also been struggling with an injury, too. He should be back for the Clasico.What are the odds?Real Madrid - 7/5Draw - 14/5Barcelona - 21/10Ronaldo has 15 goals in 26 games against BarcelonaPredictionReal Madrid have the home advantage but given recent form it will be some ask to stop Barcelona's lethal strike force, whether or not Messi returns in time.That said, Real have plenty of firepower of their own and both teams tend to score in these games, though they rarely end in draws.
19:15WrapIniesta: "We only wanted to be ourselves and we have done that. We neutralised Madrid".One of the great Clasico pastings of recent times, Madrid were as flat and lumpen as Barca were smart and snappy. Some great goals, and wonderful movement from Suarez and Neymar. The great Iniesta also getting in on the act - and all this with Messi watching most of it from the bench!Equal to any of those names on the night was young Sergi Roberto, asOliver Brown explains in his match report.There was no Lionel Messi, but Sergi Roberto proved a more than capable understudy for the evening. The 23 year-old, making only his 15th start for Barcelona, sliced through Real’s dilatory defence and timed his pass exquisitely for Luis Suárez, who displayed all his quicksilver instincts with a lethal finish into the bottom corner.The Bernabéu fell silent at the spectacle of Barcelona’s mesmeric keep-ball, encapsulated by the magically elusive Sergio Busquets, described by coach Luis Enrique as the “most intelligent footballer I have ever coached”. Real responded fractiously, with Gareth Bale fortunate not to receive a yellow card for stamping on the ankles of Jordi Alba and Cristiano Ronaldo escaping even harsher punishment for an apparent elbow into the head of Dani Alves.Read more from Oliver Brown at the Bernabeu hereSo yes. Totally one-sided, but fun to watch for the neutral. Thank you for following it with us. Goodnight.19:08FULL TIME: REAL MADRID 0 BARCELONA 0An absolute beasting, Madrid not only out-played, but out-run and out-fought. Out-classed, in fact. It could have been six or seven. Benitez will surely pay with his job, and maybe Florentino Perez will have to go as well. Results scarcely come more humiliating than this. Madrid's players looked unfit and positionally clueless. That has to be laid at the door of the manager.19:0489 minsNo consolation for thee! Ronaldo with an attacking header, and Bravo denies him with a world class save. Biscuits booked for dragging down Benzema. He did well to get his arms around him. Benzema lumpen.19:0388 minsPique, of all people, finds himself free and unmarked on the edge of the penalty area (the Madrid penalty area) after a super run and pass from Neymar. Just as he is about to line up a rare glory goal, Munir nicks in and places the shot wide. Pique is piqued.The sub Munir should have got himself on the scoresheet with either of two efforts.19:01And rightly so18:59Madrid's night is complete!Isco is given a straight red card for kicking Neymar on the left knee once the Brazillian went past him. No real complaints.18:5681 minsBenzema clambers up, via stepladder, and aims a powderpuff header at goal. Needs a cup of tea and a biscuit afterwards.larf.18:5479 minsBale and Benzema combine and the latter has a chance, he is caught offside although it's dubious. Anyway, his touch was too heavy and that is the end of that.18:5277 minsIniesta comes off, giving the armband to Messi; indeed, strapping it on for him. They kiss. As he leaves the field, even some of the home fans are applauding.18:49Talking of Suarez....GoalGOAL! He has done it again. Wonderful pass from Messi, Suarez is through, he surges forward and lifts it over the keeper, who probably went to ground too early. Real Madrid 0 Barcelona 4 (Suarez)Benitez ponders whether to take up gardening or cooking classes18:4670 minsRonaldo given offside, it was very, very tight. At the other end, Suarez is through but Ramos gets a desperate boot on his cut-back.18:4568 minsEntering the realms of embarrassing now. Messi, at walking pace, comes forward with the ball. The RM players simply do not have the legs or heart to try and close him down. All that money and hype and they cannot get 11 fit footballers on the park?18:4467 minsBale, chastised in the past for not passing to Ronaldo enough, does just that. The Portgual star is free and clear, but a wonderful save from the keeper denies him in the one-on-one.18:4165 minsVarane with some desperate defending to deny Messi, Barca are absolutely ripping them apart at the moment.18:3963 minsIf Suarez ought to have had a penalty, then Madrid would probably argue for the same here: the ball is lashed hard at Pique, hits him on the hand, a suggestion of movement from arm toward ball... Bale the forward there.18:3661 minsCarvajal soon in the game, having a shot deflected wide for a corner.18:3458 minsMarcelo off Carvajal comes on. Had Marcelo passed rather than gone for glory just after the half, this might have been different.18:3256 minsSuarez bursts into the area and that looks like he's been fouled to me by Ramos. Probably shoulda had a pen. Still, sure that won't dishearten Suarez who is a) playing brilliantly and b) bound to be on the floor in the area again within a few minutes anyway.18:31SubsJames comes off, Isco on. But more importantly, HERE IS MESSI. This is simply taking the mick from Barcelona: "we're on your manor beating you 3-0 oh and yeah and here's Messi." Rakitic the player to make way.18:28Iniesta!GoalGOAL! Better start to the second half from Madrid, but that's a distant memort now. Iniesta just allowed to amble at trotting place through the midfield - I literally have no idea where MOdric and Kroos are, and nor do their team-mates I suspect - but Iniesta potters unimpeded towards the penalty area, plays it into Suarez. The number nine with a clever backheel lay-off, Iniesta smashes the ball into the net. Glorious from Suarez. Madrid absolutely stinking up the joint. Real Madrid 0 Barcelona 3 (Iniesta 53)18:2651 minsNeymar with a freekick 22 yards out... Lovely effort, up and over the wall, curling, and brilliantly tipped over the bar. The corner is cleared.18:2449 minsGreat run Bale, whatever theye had at half time has hit the spot. Slips it to James, who lashes it at goal. My goodness that boy can hit a football. Brilliant save Bravo, turns it behind. Bar clear the corner.18:2247 minsMarcello has a barnstorming run down the left, skipping tackles, a good old fashioned BRING HIM DOWN LEGLOAS. He's into the box, he's got Ronaldo and James inside... but he opts for the shot at the near post. Wide.18:2046 minsRonaldo with the first sly foul of the half as he nudges the jumping Rakitic.18:19HALF TIME comes to an endThe players are coming back out. What changes will Benitez have made?18:09Natives restlessBig club fans are such babies18:07HALF TIME: Real Madrid 0 Barcelona 2An absolute savaging for Madrid, who look unfit, out of practice, and poorly set-up... Benitez has it all to do in the half-time team-talk.
18:0545 minsNeymar and Suarex absolutely superb, one two down the left at high pace. Suarez shoots from point-blank, and Marcello does wonderfully well to head it off the line. Rakitic with the follow up! And he is also denied by a block. The half time whistle goes, not a moment too soon for an absolutely useless Madrid side.18:0244 minsHere's Neymar again down the left, slings it over, here is Suarez in the box. Denied this time.Tell you what, it wasn't offside for the second. It was a brilliant decision from lino.17:5941 minsIniesta simply strolled through the Real Madrid central midfield there.This looks like a job-losing managerial effort for Benitez at the moment: team unfit, tactics wrong, getting opened up at will.17:56Neymar scores!GoalGOAL! Real Madrid not at the races. Iniesta runs, uses all his nous and composure to slip it through to Neymar on the left, Neymar has waaaaaaaaay too much time and space. He's sprung the offside trap, arguably fortunately, but there's no mistake as he slots the ball home and Barcelona take a worthy two-nil lead. Real Madrid 0 Barcelona 2 (Neymar 38)Nice stat Ali T.17:5537 minsWe're now entering the phase of a Clasico where it's mainly about the acting, fouling and diving. Dani Alves with a 9.6 as Sergio Ramos blocks him off. Here's a chance for Madrid though! The ball crossed from the right, great opportunity for Benzema, who fails to make contact. Oh dear. Woeful effort.17:5234 minsMadrid gunna get whupped here, unless CR7 can do something magicks. They look slow, sluggish and not really match fit.17:4830 minsMadrid break, Ronaldo running at high speed with the ball. He lays it off and is preparing to receive the return ball when Dani Alves barges into him. Clear and deliberate ploy to stop Ronaldo. As it happens, some sort of karmic justice is served because Ronaldo has elbowed Alves hard in the head. Only he will know how much intent there was. Anyway, Alves, perhaps hoping that he will be spared the yellow out of sympathy, has a lovely big roll on the floor for a while. Ref is not buying though, and once Alves has recovered, he's booked.Barcelona's Lionel Messi watches from the bench"I can haz football?"17:4628 minsThis is more like it from Madrid, they pour forward and put Barca under pressure. Biscuits has given it away! The clot, he dithers on the ball and is robbed. James smashes a snap-shot at goal but, alas, also at the goalkeeper.Mascherano gone in the groin. Replaced by Mathieu.17:4426 minsBall drilled into the RM box. Sergios Roberto! He has it on the penalty spot, he's beaten Modric (too) easily... and he has fired over.. Oh, that should have been two.17:4224 minsEvery time Bale gets the ball, pulling out to the right, he's got three Barca players for company.17:4122 minsRamos gives the ball away, playing James into trouble, Neymar is onto it and there's not much James can do other than bring him down. Booked. Freekick Barca. Weakly hit freekick from Neymar but Suarez nearly sneaks onto it at the back stick.17:4020 minsVarane tackles Suarez from the side/behind. Commentator: "Suarez has made the most of that". Surely one of the most used phrases in the language alongside "Yes, of course I would like cheese with that" and "sure, if you're buying."17:3919 minsFew challenges starting to come in, Bale on Alba, possible foot up. Ref taking a laissez faire attitude thus far.17:3617 minsExcellent work Bale, holding the ball up, and now getting it back and swinging a deep cross into Ronaldo. Dani Alves and Ronaldo in a wrestling match, hard to say definitively who is being the naughtier, but Ronaldo throws himself to the floor with no penalty awarded.17:3315 minsFirst injury as Mascherano gets a sore one on the upper inner thigh. James the assailant.17:3113 minsIt's old and new combining as the majestic Iniesta fires a lovely long ball forward, there's Sergio Roberto with another fine run, cuts it back to Rakitic, who fires well over. Madrid getting a pasting right now.17:3011 minsSuarez bang on his game, what a player he is when he's on song, just so good to watch. He powers down the inside-right channel now, slides a pass through and Damilo has to bust a gut to deny Neymar from running on to that. Oliver Brown adds:The five most expensive footballers in history are all on the pitch tonight: Bale, Ronaldo, James, Suarez, Neymar. Combined value: £367 million.17:27Suarez Scores!GoalGOAL! A superb run from S Roberto, he carves through the sluggish RM midfield, excellent pace and he times the pass to Suarez perfectly. A wonderfully timed run from El Bitey, there was not a nanosecond to spare as he sprung the offside trap, and it's a super finish into the bottom corner. Real Madrid 0 Barcelona 1 (Suarez 9)Luis Suarez scores Barcelona's first17:269 minsRonaldo now down the right, good move, great pace, he crosses hard and the keeper just about palms it away from the danger area.17:247 minsOoh, brilliant from Suarez, a delightful lay-off after a strong Alba run down the left. Finds Neymar on the 18 yard line! Terrible shot, miles over.17:225 minsThe corner cleared without drama, Barca are themselves now taking their time on the ball, both sides have already attempted getting on for 40 passes. It'd take some English teams a week to do that. Our man at the ground, Oliver Brown writes:Not only did the French Tricolore cover an entire tier of a stand, the minute’s silence here at the Bernabéu was also followed by a sustained and moving chant of ‘Paris, Paris’.17:193 minsIt's Madrid who are enjoying the early possession, the game is contested in Barca's half. Ronaldo with a dart down the left, into the area, and he has won a corner.This, though, is a SERIOUS bit of stats work and certainly tells a tale about recruitment policy.17:181 minsBarcelona kick off. The five most expensive footballers ever are all on the pitch together for the first time, factoid fans.And there's our first cheat of the evening! And it's our old friend Luis Suarez, making a song and dance about a challenge from Sergio Ramos.17:16Few last minute formalitiesPhotos, handshakes17:14A moment of remembrance for the Paris victims17:13Yeah, but what about the adverts?17:11Away days"I used to love playing the Clasico away from home, a chance to beat them at their place," says Thierry Henry17:09Rafa going to go down swinging17:07Thanks for your prediction emailsWhy not show your working? WHY do you think "Real Madrid is the winner of match", Dayen Dahnson?17:00TV coverage ahoy!andAitor Karanka and Thierry Henry - generously introduced by the presenter as "a Barcelona legend" - are in the studio.16:51Landmark for GarethAstonishing that the jury is still out, really.Lamboi Hangshing reckons it will be "Barcelona 2 Real Madrid 0". Assuming, that is that Lamboi knows it is a home fixture for Madrid, that's our first prediction of the evening. And not just a really slow match result from December 2008, the last time Barca won 2-0 at Camp Nou in the league.16:44Real Madrid line-up16:43Our first commenter of the evening16:40Sub tweetMessi may just pip David Fairclough to being the ultimate supersub.— Matthew Stanger (@MatthewStanger) November 21, 201516:36More on the teams (from AFP)Barcelona coach Luis Enrique left four-time World Player of the Year Lionel Messi on the bench for Saturday's mammoth clash with Real Madrid on his return from a two-month injury layoff.Messi has not featured since suffering knee ligament damage against Las Palmas on September 26, but hopes had been raised that he could start after he played a full part in training this week.However, with Barca leading Madrid by three points at the top of the table, Enrique has opted to ease his star man back into action with Sergi Roberto starting in attack alongside Luis Suarez and Neymar.By contrast, Real Madrid boss Rafael Benitez recalled Karim Benzema to his starting line-up after six weeks out with a hamstring injury.It is also Benzema's first appearance since the striker was charged with complicity to blackmail and conspiring to commit a criminal act in his native France in a case involving a sex tape featuring international teammate Mathieu Valbuena.Benzema is reunited with Gareth Bale, on his 100th Real Madrid appearance, and Cristiano Ronaldo up front.Meanwhile, Colombian star James Rodriguez is preferred to Casemiro in the Madrid midfield.Real Madrid (4-3-3): Keylor Navas; Danilo, Raphael Varane, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo; Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, James Rodriguez; Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema, Cristiano RonaldoBarcelona (4-3-3): Claudio Bravo; Dani Alves, Javier Mascherano, Gerard Pique, Jordi Alba; Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta, Ivan Rakitic; Sergi Roberto, Luis Suarez, Neymar16:35Nice statAlthough I am deducting half a point for calling it 'sports'.16:33Who is going to win?And who do you WANT to win?Email alan.tyers@telegraph.co.uk with your views. Or tweet @alantyers16:32Real Madrid teamNavas; Danilo, Varane, Ramos, Marcelo; James, Kroos, Modric; Bale, Benzema, Ronaldo.So that nice Karim Benzema returns to the XI, having been injured on international doody.16:30Or if you prefer...16:29Messi is on the bench!Go Leo16:24What's in a rivalry?I really enjoyed this from the excellent Rob Bagchi.If you walk along the touchline at a children’s football training session on Saturday morning, you would be forgiven for thinking you were witnessing a rather sophisticated marketing campaign for Saturday evening’s Clásico – as you will have doubtlessly learnt to call it. Across the fields you will see scores of children in the burgundy and navy hoops of Barcelona and quite a few wearing the white or silver away shirts of Real Madrid.This army of little Messis, Neymars, Ronaldos and Bales represents a victory for a kind of cultural imperialism bred both by the prodigious success of the Spanish giants and the hype their sustained investment in world-class talent has generated.Real Madrid vs Barcelona – or El Clasico as you now must call it – does not need the hype and symbolism16:24We're live!Team news, sortaSecurity is tight
When time is kick off for Real Madrid vs Barcelona?Yes, it's that time again. Club football's biggest showpiece - and arguably the finest showcase of global talent football has to offer - is ready for its first instalment of the season as Barcelona and Real Madrid meet in El Clasicothis coming Saturday, November 21. The game starts at 5.15pm UK time (or 6.15pm local time) at Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu.Kick off has been pushed back by 15 minutes to accommodate UK viewers (so you'd better watch it), because of the broadcasting law that forbids live football from being screened between 2.45pm and 5.15pm.Suarez has been in red hot formExcellent picture of Ronnie here!Where can I watch it?Live coverage of the game will be on Sky Sports 2 / Sky Sports 2 HD.You can also follow the match on our live blog.Is there any danger it might be called off after the Paris attacks?Europe is on high alert following the deadly bombings and shootings in the French capital and a friendly match between Spain and Belgium due to take place in Brussels later on Tuesday has been postponed.But the Spanish government's top sports official has sent out a message of calm and said there is no reason for Real v Barcelona to be postponed. Miguel Cardenal, the head of Spain's sports council (CSD), said officials would meet on Wednesday to discuss security at the match and steps would be taken to allow fans to attend the match "with a guarantee of normality"."We are the first ones interested in making sure nothing untoward occurs," Cardenal said. "So if anything happens that requires the public to be given certain instructions like suspending a match that will be done. The correct message is one of calm. The advice is the same as last week, to act normally and in absolute freedom."
What is the team news?There could be some big names missing, with Lionel Messi facing a race against time to be fit. The Argentine has missed the last 10 games, but he did return to training on Monday and you would have to think there is a fair chance Barca will do everything in their power to get him on the field.Still, if he does not make it, Real's problems do not magically disappear: Neymar and Luis Suarez have flourished in his absence, scoring their last 16 league goals with Barcelona winning 8 of those 10 matches.• Gerard Pique picks his world dream teamGiven that his team-mates have coped without him, it may well be that Messi only makes the bench for this match, with his long-term fitness the most important factor.Messi has missed 10 matches through injuryFor Real Madrid, Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez made their returns to action in the defeat at Sevilla but Karim Benzema missed out for, let's say, 'other' reasons, though he has also been struggling with an injury, too. He should be back for the Clasico.What are the odds?Real Madrid - 7/5Draw - 14/5Barcelona - 21/10Ronaldo has 15 goals in 26 games against BarcelonaPredictionReal Madrid have the home advantage but given recent form it will be some ask to stop Barcelona's lethal strike force, whether or not Messi returns in time.That said, Real have plenty of firepower of their own and both teams tend to score in these games, though they rarely end in draws.
