Real Madrid - Barcelona live online: score, stats and updates | El Clásico
Real Madrid vs Barcelona: live friendly updates
At the other end, Lewandowski slips the ball out to the right to Valle, who gets a cross away.
His ball is deflected behind for a corner, which Pablo Torre will take.
This game is being played at a very sprightly, unpreseason-y pace, it has to be said.
Madrid push Barça back, with Modric directing operations. He whips a low ball out to Vázquez, who in turn fizzes the ball into the middle.
Endrick is on the receiving end of Vázquez's delivery, but he can't connect properly with his shot.
For the first time, Madrid get across the halfway line and create an attack of substance.
Los Blancos work it to Endrick, who tries to collect and run at a backpedalling Blaugrana defence. Valle is quickly across to take the ball off Endrick's toes, and Barça clear.
Again Barça come forward, to rising decibels inside MetLife Stadium.
Balde darts down the left and tries to clip a ball into Unai, but again the youngster is unable to bring the ball under his spell.
Barcelona begin the game in possession, working it to Christensen to trot out from the back and lift a high ball forward.
It's too long for Unai Hernández, and Lucas Vázquez is across to shepherd it behind.
Peeeep! We're underway.
Who is the ref for the Clásico?
The match referee, by the way, will be the 38-year-old American official Armando Villarreal.
Kick-off imminent in New Jersey
We were due to kick off a couple of minutes ago... but the teams finally make their way out at MetLife Stadium, where the Guns n Roses is blaring out and the fans are making plenty of noise.
Almost time for kick-off!
Last look at the line-ups
It's almost time to go in New Jersey, where Ancelotti and Flick can be seen engaging in a highly jovial little pre-match chinwag. Here's a final reminder of the teams:
Real Madrid
Courtois, Vázquez, Militao, Rüdiger, García, Martín, Modric, Ceballos, Güler, Díaz, Endrick
Barcelona
Ter Stegen, Valle, Christensen, Martínez, Balde, Bernal, Casadó, Hernández, Torre, Víctor, Lewandowski
MetLife pitch "in a terrible state"
AS reporter Manu de Juan offered a positive update on the weather a few moments ago, but he is less upbeat about the state of the playing surface.
The MetLife Stadium pitch is "in a terrible state", Manu says.
Fans run to the MetLife Stadium entrances / Angel Colmenares / EFE
The rain was certainly falling hard in East Rutherford a little earlier.
In this photo, soaked soccer fans can be seen running towards the MetLife Stadium entrances amid the wet weather.
"Looks like the storm threat has passed"
Manu de Juan, AS's man inside MetLife, has sent this weather update:
“Here’s what the sky above MetLife Stadium looks like,” Manu says in a post on X. “It looks like the storm threat has passed, although the match’s organisers aren’t taking anything for granted.”
The word is that Real Madrid fans greatly outnumber supporters of Barcelona inside MetLife Stadium.
Admittedly, that 'word' is courtesy of Real Madrid TV, so it's not necessarily the most objective of takes.
However many of them there are, Barça's fans appear to be in fine voice.
Whatever time the game kicks off, one thing is for certain: Real Madrid and Barcelona are going to earn a pretty penny from their latest Clásico on US soil.
We take a look at how much the LaLiga giants are set to earn from their fixture.
Weather "looking good" as things stand
On Real Madrid TV, there's optimism that the Clásico will kick off at the advertised start time.
"It's looking good," is the verdict.
Now there's the kiss of death if I've ever heard it.
Madrid and Barça players on the field
Both sets of players are now out and going through their paces on the MetLife pitch.
If it's to go ahead as scheduled, we have 25 minutes until kick-off.
Warm-ups underway
Players are now out on the MetLife pitch and are warming up: goalkeepers Thibaut Courtois and Marc André ter Stegen have made their way onto the field to start limbering up.
Should you be wondering how you can watch the Clásico, incidentally, let me point you in the direction of our guide on where to tune in.
Who's on the bench in today's Clásico?
Here, by the way, are the two substitutes' benches in full:
Real Madrid:
Lunin, Fran, Jacobo Ramón, Vallejo, Obrador, Joan Martínez, Lorenzo, Jeremy de León, Asencio, Nico Paz, Latasa, Rodrygo and Vinicius.
Barcelona:
Iñaki Peña, Astralaga, Kochen, Fort, Julián Araújo, Lenglet, Gerard Martín, Faye, Sergi Domínguez, Olmedo, Cuenca, Guille Fernández, Junyent, Gündogan, Darvich, Toni Fernández, Raphinha and Vitor Roque.
Madrid on competitive Clásico winning streak
While Barcelona have won every US friendly so far, it’s certainly Real Madrid who have had the upper hand in recent competitive Clasicos.
Indeed, the Spanish and European champions have now won four in a row against Barça, including all three meetings last season.
Most notably, Madrid thumped their arch rivals 4-1 in the Spanish Super Cup final in January.
Flick shuffles his Barcelona pack
Hansi Flick makes seven changes to the team that lined up against Manchester City a few days ago.
Marc Bernal, Marc Casadó, Pablo Torre and Pau Víctor are the only players to keep their places.
First-team fixtures Marc André ter Stegen, Andreas Christensen, Alejandro Balde and Robert Lewandowski all make their first starts of the preseason period.
Barcelona line-up confirmed
Hansi Flick, taking charge of his second game as Barça boss, has now named his team.
The Catalans will line up thusly: Ter Stegen; Valle, Christensen, Martínez, Balde; Bernal, Casadó; Hernández, Torre, Víctor; Lewandowski.
Clásico reportedly will be pushed back
Real Madrid expert Kiyan Sobhani is reporting that the Clásico has indeed been delayed.
Vini among the subs for Clásico
Vinícius Júnior is at Carlo Ancelotti's disposal once more, but he's on the bench for Real Madrid.
Like Éder Militao and Rodrygo Goes, Vinícius joined up with Madrid's preseason preparations after the Milan defeat. Rodrygo will also have to wait for his chance at MetLife Stadium.
Barcelona check in at MetLife
Here, courtesy of Barcelona's social-media team, is footage of the Blaugrana squad's arrival at MetLife Stadium.
Still no word on whether there's going to be a delay to kick-off.
What happened in the first three US Clásicos?
In the first Clásico to be played in the US, Barça were 3-2 winners in Miami Gardens in 2017.
The clubs didn’t meet again on American soil until 2022, when Raphinha’s goal gave the Blaugrana a 1-0 victory in Las Vegas.
A year later, Barça eased to a 3-0 triumph in Dallas, thanks to goals by Ousmane Dembélé, Fermin López and Ferran Torres.
How many US Clásicos have there been?
This will be the fourth time that Real Madrid and Barcelona have played a summer Clásico in the United States.
So far, Barça have enjoyed the experience rather more than their arch rivals: they’ve won three out of three.
Clásico duo's second US tour games
Real Madrid and Barcelona are both preparing to play their second game of the preseason period.
Madrid kicked things off in Chicago on Wednesday, losing 1-0 to AC Milan at Soldier Field. Former Villarreal winger Samu Chukwueze scored the winner for the Rossoneri.
Barça, meanwhile, drew 2-2 with Manchester City in Orlando on Tuesday, before beating the Premier League champions on penalties. Youngsters Pau Victor and Pablo Torre were on target for the Blaugrana.
Could adverse weather delay the Clásico?
It’s worth noting that there is a possibility of today’s game facing a delay.
That’s because forecasts say there’s a 70% chance of a lightning storm hitting New Jersey at the time of kick-off.
No decision has been made in this regard, but it’s understood that the game would be pushed back two hours, to 9pm ET, were organisers to opt for a delay.
Kylian Mbappé, en su presentación como nuevo jugador del Real Madrid el pasado 16 de julio en el Santiago Bernabéu. / Chema Moya / EFE
Presentación Mbappé como nuevo jugador del Real Madrid
A whole host of big names are absent for Real Madrid today.
Most notably, star summer signing Kylian Mbappé will play no part in the Clásico - or indeed any of Madrid's US fixtures. He'll join up with Los Blancos' pre-season preparations after the club's return to Spain.
The same goes for Jude Bellingham, and a number of other players. Ferland Mendy, Eduardo Camavinga, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Federico Valverde and Dani Carvajal are also absent from Madrid's US tour.
MetLife the setting for latest US Clásico
Still no team news from Barcelona, whose social-media team have shared this pre-match view of MetLife Stadium.
The 82,000-capacity arena is home to two NFL franchises, the New York Giants and the New York Jets.
Militao returns for Madrid
Ancelotti makes just the one change to the team that started against AC Milan in midweek.
Éder Militao, who is back to availability after returning from his summer hols, replaces Jesús Vallejo in Madrid's central defence.
Real Madrid starting XI confirmed
We already have team news at MetLife Stadium.
Carlo Ancelotti has named his line-up, which is as follows: Courtois, Vázquez, Militao, Rüdiger, García, Martín, Modric, Ceballos, Güler, Díaz, Endrick.
Real Madrid vs Barcelona: welcome!
Hello! For the third year in a row, Real Madrid and Barcelona go head to head in a preseason Clásico on US soil.
Kick-off in New Jersey is at 7pm ET - in about an hour and a half's time.