Barcelona-Real Madrid: Camp Nou Clásico a lunchtime kick-off
According to Spanish television, pending official confirmation, the game between Barça and Real Madrid at Camp Nou will start at 13:00.
The first Liga Clásico of the season between Barça and Real Madrid will kick off at 13:00 on Saturday 26 October in Camp Nou, according to Movistar, who hold the rights to Liga games this season.
Pending official confirmation from LaLiga itself, the timing of the game has already drawn criticism from fans over scheduling, which has become such a sore point in Spain that that the Spanish Football Federation intervened to prevent Monday night football from taking place in 2019-20.
The Christmas Clásico: fond memories for Barça
However, it is not the first time a Clásico has been handed the Saturday lunchtime spot, with the Bernabéu Clásico in 2017-18 being staged on the highly unusual date of December 23 at 13:00, which also at the time generated a lot of criticism.
It didn’t end well for the home side on that occasion with Real Madrid losing 3-0. Luis Suárez, Leo Messi and Aleix Vidal provided the goals that day and both coaches will hope for a similar result on the day with neither side exactly firing on all cylinders in the early exchanges of the season.