Real Madrid - Barcelona El Clásico in LaLiga: time and date confirmed

The date and time for the first Clásico of the season have been confirmed: Real Madrid will face Barcelona in the 11th round of LaLiga on Saturday, October 26, at 9:00 p.m. local time at the Bernabéu. This information was initially obtained from various sources and later confirmed by LaLiga.

The scheduling has sparked some controversy, as both teams will have played Champions League matches earlier that week, leaving Barcelona with less time to rest.

Real Madrid will host Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday, October 22, at 3:00 p.m ET., while Barcelona will face Bayern Munich the day after, meaning that Los Blancos will have a total of 24 hours extra rest.

Given their Champions League commitments, it was initially expected that the Clásico might take place on Sunday, October 27. However, LaLiga and the television broadcasters have ultimately decided the match will be held on Saturday, October 26.

Barcelona have romped to the top of the LaLiga standings, winning all of their games so far this season. Their most recent win, a crushing 1-5 victory over Villarreal, showed their attacking power with both Lamine Yamal and Raphinha putting on a spectacle for fans in the stadium.

Real Madrid, meanwhile, have somewhat huffed and puffed this season, despite winning 4 games from 6. Questions had been asked about their front line, with Vini Jr the most recent victim of fan frustration. However, a stunning substitute performance against Espanyol in the previous match day showed that he does not lack any talent and his form could well be on the up, just in time for the biggest match in the sport.