Good evening and welcome to Sports Mole's live commentary of tonight's el Clasico between Barcelona and Real Madrid at the Nou Camp.
The monumental clash is arguably the biggest game in world football and almost always throws up its fair share of controversy.
The home side enter the clash top of La Liga with six wins from six matches, but Madrid sit eight points off the summit with 10 points from their opening six league fixtures.
Victory for Barcelona this evening could open up an insurmountable lead on Jose Mourinho's side, but Madrid did win the corresponding fixture 2-1 last season.
Please note that kickoff is at 6.50pm.
8.42pmJust a wonderful feast of football. That just about does it from me this evening. Thanks for joining Sports Mole for the action and look out for our match analysis within the hour. Good night!
8.40pmOh my word. A wonderful game is brought to an end with both teams sharing the points in a 2-2 draw. Ronaldo and Messi struck both goals for their sides as Madrid remain eight points behind Barcelona.
FULL-TIMEBarcelona 2-2 Real Madrid
90 min+2Final chance of the match comes to Pedro as he dances past Pepe before finding a shot, but his effort is wide of the target.
90 min+2Another chance for Barcelona as Sanchez strikes from outside the box, but it deflects behind once more. That could be just about it.
90 min+2It's Barcelona with possession as we approach the final moments of the match. We look to be heading for a draw. Unless...
90 minXavi takes the effort, but it is deflected for a corner. Meanwhile, we will play three minutes of added time.
90 minYet another free kick for Barcelona just outside the box as Arbeloa fells Messi. Can the Argentine win it for his side? We are almost into added time.
89 minCHANCE! Oh my word! Barcelona so nearly win it as Montoya strikes an effort from outside the box, but he smashes the crossbar.
88 minAlonso is lucky to escape a red card as he fells Xavi. Meanwhile, Michael Essien comes on for Di Maria for Madrid.
87 minWonderful challenge from Kaka as he denies Pedro inside his own box, he just had to get that right. It does appear that both players have settled for a point.
86 minHalf-chance for Madrid as Alonso finds Higuain at the far post, but the Argentine fires wide of the target. Madrid are on the attack at the moment...
84 minRight, we have just about six minutes of normal time remaining. Will we have a winner? Both sides are just enjoying spells of possession at the moment.
82 minBy the way, Ronaldo now has eight goals in his last three games. Can he score a third and make it three hat-tricks in a week? Stop it! Barcelona are just enjoying possession in the Madrid half at the moment.
80 minThe match has just gone slightly scrappy in the past few minutes with a host of offsides. Meanwhile, change for Madrid as Kaka replaces Ozil.
78 minThe home side pick up yet another free kick outside the box as Pepe fells Sanchez, but this time it breaks down with Alonso clearing the danger.
76 minHowever, this time Messi's effort is high and over the crossbar. Madrid breathe a sigh of relief. Meanwhile, Valdes blocks a Higuain effort down the other end.
76 minBarcelona have another chance to move ahead as Messi is felled on the edge of the box. Take two.
74 minBarcelona continue to pass and probe around the Madrid box, but there is just no way through at the moment.
74 minWow. Check this statistic out from Infostrada Sports: "Barcelona have never lost at home when Messi scored. Real have never lost a La Liga game in which Ronaldo scored."
72 minMessi comes close to scoring his third as he links with Alba inside the box, but he just fires wide of the post. End-to-end stuff at the moment.
70 minRonaldo appears to be in trouble here as he grabs his shoulder. I'm not sure if he is going to be able to continue here. It does not look too clever.
68 minCan you believe it? What a match. But did we really expect anything different? This is just top class from both sides. You just know that there is going to be a winner.
67 min Messi two, Ronaldo two! Ronaldo levels the scores as he meets an Ozil pass before firing past Valdes.
66 minGOAL! Barcelona 2-2 Real Madrid (Ronaldo)
64 minMeanwhile, change for Barcelona as Alexis Sanchez replaces Fabregas. You just get the feeling that there are still goals in this one. It is not over by a long shot. But the next goal is all-important.
62 minYou just do not save those. This little man is putting on a real show this evening. Now it is over to Ronaldo to respond for his side. Change for Madrid as Higuain replaces Benzema.
61 minOh my word. Just wonderful from Messi as he strikes a free kick into the top corner. That is just unreal.
61 minGOAL! Barcelona 2-1 Real Madrid (Messi)
59 minHalf-chance for Madrid as Benzema and Khedira link in the box, but the latter just cannot keep possession - allowing Mascherano to clear. Meanwhile, Alonso escapes a second yellow for a foul on Messi outside the box.
57 minBarcelona continue to play their football in and around the Madrid box, but they just cannot find the final ball at the moment. It really is so delicately poised.
55 minRonaldo does strike it towards goal, but his effort smashes straight into the wall. Not one of his best that is for certain.
54 minBusquets is lucky to say on the field as he jumps into the back of Ronaldo outside the box. It appears that the Madrid man will strike this one on goal. He is certainly capable.
52 minSighter for Barcelona as Pedro dances past Marcelo down the right, but his cross is cut out by Pepe. Both sides are carrying a very real threat in this second period.
50 minHalf-chance for Madrid as Alonso whips a dangerous cross into the box, but Mascherano just clears the danger. End-to-end football at the moment.
48 minPenalty shout! Big penalty claim for Madrid as Ozil is felled in the box by Adriano, but the referee shakes his head. Meanwhile, Messi advances straight down the other end, but the danger is cleared.
46 minHere we go then. Barcelona kick us off in the second period. No changes for either side at the break. I would not be surprised to see Modric for Madrid some point soon.
7.52pmHere's a word from Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand on Twitter: "1-1 in the Messi v Ronaldo show!"
7.52pmMeanwhile, here's a statistic courtesy of Infostrada Sports: "This is the third consecutive Clasico and the fifth in history Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have both scored at least once."
7.50pmWhat are we expecting in the second period then? Barcelona will dominate possession, but Madrid will look to threaten on the break. I am sticking with my pre-match prediction of 2-1 to Madrid.
7.47pmBarcelona have dominated possession with 67%, but they have had just two shots to Madrid's six. It has been pretty much as you would expect, Barcelona on the ball and Madrid playing on the counter.
7.44pmBarcelona levelled against the run of play on the 30-minute mark through Messi to level the scores at the break. Let's take a look at some statistics from the opening half.
7.41pmIt was Madrid that started the match the better and they took the lead after 23 minutes when Ronaldo finished from close range. It should have been two moments later when Ozil found himself in the box, but he struck the post.
7.38pmSo there we have it. Barcelona and Madrid remain level at the break following first-half strikes from Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
HALF-TIMEBarcelona 1-1 Real Madrid
45 minChance for Barcelona in the latter stages of the half as they force a free kick outside the box, but it breaks down in unimpressive fashion.
44 minAgain it's good defending from Pepe as he brings the ball out of defence before finding Ronaldo, but his pass to Alonso is gathered by Busquets. Not long left in this opening half.
42 minMadrid just cannot find a final pass at the moment as Ozil dances past the challenge of Xavi, but his ball to Ronaldo is cut out. It has not happened for the German thus far.
40 minFirst yellow card of the match is handed to Pedro for a high foot on Sergio Ramos. It was a nasty one. The referee is just being tested at the moment.
38 minThe match has just become slightly heated in the past few moments with a host of fouls from both sides. Now now boys. Let's keep a lid on this one please.
36 minBarcelona have just started to dominate possession in the past few minutes. However, there has been no real danger to the Madrid goal. Such an even contest.
34 minThere is always a danger that these two teams could cancel each other out. But that is not the case this evening. We have a real match at the Nou Camp.
32 minIt will go down as a mistake from Pepe with the Madrid defender jumping for a ball that he simply was not going to make. That goal has come against the run of play.
31 minMessi versus Ronaldo! They both have one now as the Argentine pounces on a loose ball inside the box to fire home from close range.
31 minBarcelona 1-1 Real Madrid (Messi)
29 minObviously Barcelona will respond at some point tonight. They always do. But if Madrid can get that second goal then it completely changes the context of the match.
27 minBarcelona just look so open in defence at the moment. It is as clear as day that they are lacking a centre-back. Madrid could extend their lead here. Meanwhile, change for Barcelona as Montoya replaces the injured Alves.
25 minCHANCE! Oh my word! Madrid should be 2-0 ahead as Di Maria finds Ozil in the box, but he hits the post. What a chance! You just have to score those chances.
24 minI know Messi is wonderful, but for me, Ronaldo is the best player in the world. He now does it on the biggest stage week in week out. Madrid look in control here.
23 minOh my word! Ronaldo does it again as he scores in his sixth El Clasico in a row with a powerful finish from close range.
23 minBarcelona 0-1 Real Madrid (Ronaldo)
22 minHalf-chance for Barcelona as Iniesta picks up possession outside the Madrid box, but he fires his effort over the crossbar. Madrid have created the best two chances of the half thus far.
20 minChance! Another fine chance for Madrid as Ramos meets a Ronaldo corner, but he heads it wide of the target. The away side have looked the most likely.
18 minWe have not seen much from Messi thus far as the little Argentine is denied on the edge of the box once more. Pepe has made some start to the match. It's just slightly cagey at the moment.
16 minSlight bit of controversy here as Pepe dwells on possession, allowing Fabregas to nick the ball, but the Madrid defender throws himself to the ground and wins the free kick. He has got away with one there! Meanwhile, Barcelona are passing and probing in the opposing half.
14 minChance! Best chance of the match for Madrid as Ronaldo finds Benzema in the box, but the Frenchman fires it wide of the target. Wow.
12 minWonderful defending from Pepe as he cuts out a Messi pass before turning in the box with impressive skill. He does not win many friends, but he is just fantastic. Proper tempo to the match at the moment.
10 minMadrid again break with pace as Di Maria picks up possession in midfield, but Mascherano just blocks the run of Ronaldo. End-to-end football with 10 minutes on the clock.
8 minHalf-chance for the away side as Alonso searches out the run of Ozil, but the German just cannot collect under pressure. Madrid are playing the better football at the moment.
7 minThere is just one man on display who has not yet taken part in an El Clasico - Barcelona defender Jordi Alba. What a player he is by the way. Both sides are just exchanging possession at the moment.
5 minFirst real sign of Ronaldo as the attacker picks up possession on the right, but he is quickly surrounded by three Barcelona defenders. The crowd are right up for this one.
3 minFirst free kick of the match is handed to Barcelona as Ramos fells Xavi. I should imagine that it will not be the last! The home side have just begun to gather possession.
2 minLooking at Barcelona in the early stages, Adriano is playing central defence. Ronaldo will fancy his chances against the Brazilian that is for certain.
1 minMadrid kick us off on this warm evening in Spain. This is a proper football match. Stay with us for the remainder of this treat.
6.50pmHere we go then. Handshakes? Check. Flags exchanged? Check. The two best players in world football? Check. Let's get this show on the road.
6.48pmYou would expect Barcelona to dominate possession this evening, but Madrid will be a threat on the counter. Half a billion people are said to be watching. Wow.
6.45pmHere we go then. Both sets of players are emerging from the tunnel. Ronaldo looks very focused. Messi looks like he is popping down the shops for his essentials. No big deal or anything.
6.42pmIt is a full house inside the Nou Camp this evening - as if it would be anything else. You just get the feeling that the first goal could shape this match. The world is watching.
6.39pmWigan Athletic boss Roberto Martinez has told Sky Sports News that he thinks Madrid will win this evening. He claims that they "need it more". I don't think you could disagree with that.
6.36pmRight, we are just about 20 minutes from kickoff which can mean only one thing. Yep, prediction time. I genuinely think Madrid can get a win this evening and I'm going for 2-1. I just hope it's a good game.
6.32pmThe Catalan national anthem will be played in the 17th minute of tonight's match to commemorate the date September 11 1714, where many Catalans perished during the War of Spanish Succession.
6.29pmMeanwhile, there remains criticism of Ronaldo with suggestions that he does not perform in matches against Barcelona. But the fact he has four goals in his last five games against Barcelona has quelled those ludicrous claims.
6.26pmNot to be upstaged, however, Lionel Messi scored 73 goals in 60 games last season. That kind of statistic just does not seem real. Normally you would be pleased if your striker had a ratio of a goal every two goals, but these two have raised the standard. Messi only has 10 goals in 10 games this season though, he's rubbish that boy!
6.23pmTonight will also pit the two best players in the world against each other once more. Ronaldo has struck a stunning 158 goals in 154 games since joining Madrid in 2009. Yep, you heard me. 158 in 154. I don't even know what to say about that. He scored 60 goals in 55 games last season and has 12 in 10 so far this campaign.
6.20pmThe next two matches belonged to the genius that is Cristiano Ronaldo as the Portuguese struck back-to-back hat-tricks in victories over Deportivo La Coruna and Ajax in the Champions League. More importantly, their mini-crisis appears to have passed early on and they now look like the side that secured the Spanish title last season.
6.17pmThe criticism has appeared to have worked, however, as they have won their last four matches to get their season back on track. The first came in their opening Champions League match against Manchester City, before they overcame cut cables to record a 2-0 win away to Rayo Vallecano.
6.14pmThey had appeared to be returning to form when they secured the Supercopa and beat Granada 3-0 at home. However, they lost in the league once more to Sevilla, leading to Mourinho criticising his troops for their early season form.
6.11pmMeanwhile, back to Madrid's start to the season. They began their league campaign with a disappointing 1-1 draw at home to Valencia, before suffering back-to-back away defeats in the Supercopa to Barcelona and La Liga against Getafe.
6.08pmSo there we have it. No Alex Song for the home side. But Cesc Fabregas does start in midfield. Madrid choose Ozil over Luka Modric and Benzema over Gonzalo Higuain.
6.05pmTeams:
Barcelona: Valdes; Alves, Mascherano, Adriano, Alba; Busquets, Fabregas, Xavi; Pedro, Messi, Iniesta
Real Madrid: Casillas; Arbeloa, Pepe, Ramos, Marcelo; Khedira, Alonso, Ozil; Di Maria, Ronaldo, Benzema
6.02pmBREAKING TEAM NEWS: Adriano and Pedro start for Barcelona. Meanwhile, Madrid recall Sami Khedira and Mesut Ozil. Karim Benzema also starts in attack for the away side.
5.59pmThe Catalans had appeared to be heading for their first league defeat of the season when they trailed 2-0 to Sevilla, but two goals in the final minutes of the match secured a vital three points as they continued their perfect record in the league. Meanwhile, they made it two Champions League wins with victory over Benfica on Tuesday.
5.59pmThe Catalans had appeared to be heading for their first league defeat of the season when they trailed 2-0 to Sevilla, but two goals in the final minutes of the match secured a vital three points as they continued their perfect record in the league. Meanwhile, they made it two Champions League wins with victory over Benfica on Tuesday.
5.59pmThe Catalans had appeared to be heading for their first league defeat of the season when they trailed 2-0 to Sevilla, but two goals in the final minutes of the match secured a vital three points as they continued their perfect record in the league. Meanwhile, they made it two Champions League wins with victory over Benfica on Tuesday.
5.56pmBarcelona continued their winning run in the league after the international break with a 4-1 win over Getafe, before they opened their Champions League account with a 3-2 win over Spartak Moscow. Granada were next to suffer at the Nou Camp as Barcelona make it five wins from five league matches.
5.53pmNext came a 2-1 away win against Osasuna, while, as mentioned, they lost 2-1 at Madrid to suffer defeat in the Supercopa on away goals. But they quickly returned to form with a vital three points at home to Valencia at the beginning of September.
5.50pmLet's take a look at how both sides have fared thus far this season. Barcelona began their league campaign with a thumping 5-1 win over Real Sociedad before recording a 3-2 win over Real Madrid in the first leg of the Supercopa.
5.47pmIn terms of the team news for both sides. Barcelona will definitely be without Gerard Pique, Carlos Puyol and Thiago. It is expected that Alex Song and Javier Mascherano will play in central defence once more. Meanwhile, Madrid have no fresh injury concerns and are expected to recall Sami Khedira and Angel di Maria to their starting XI. But it remains to be seen who of Mesut Ozil, Luka Modric and Kaka is given the playmaker role.
5.44pmThe Supercopa clash at the beginning of the season suggested that Madrid could seriously dominate Spanish football this season. They trailed 3-2 from the first leg at the Nou Camp, but they absolutely annihilated Barcelona in the opening 45 minutes at the Bernabeu. They are perhaps the only side in world football that genuinely worry the Catalan club.
5.41pmThe fixtures between Mourinho and Guardiola were marred by red cards, touchline bans and exceptional excitement. Meanwhile, does anyone remember Mourinho poking Vilanova in the eye? Of course you do! That is perhaps the greatest things about these matches - anything can happen.
5.38pmRemarkably, Mourinho got the better of former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola just twice in 11 attempts - the Copa del Rey final and the 2-1 win in April. But it has been all change at the Catalan club this summer with the once pretender Tito Vilanova now calling the shots.
5.35pmTonight will be the 222nd time that the pair have faced each other. Madrid lead the way with 88 wins to Barcelona's 87, but Madrid have won just one of their last eight league encounters with the Catalan club.
5.32pmMadrid have already suffered two league defeats this season, leading to Mourinho questioning his side. But victory this evening would harbour hopes that they can secure back-to-back league titles for the first time since their 2007 and 2008 triumphs.
5.29pmWhen Barcelona and Madrid raised the curtain for the Spanish season in August, it would have been fair to assume that few people would have expected that the latter would be eight points off Barcelona by October. The Supercopa clash - which was won by Madrid over two legs - showed the vast improvement in Mourinho's side.
5.26pmAs mentioned above, Madrid secured a 2-1 win in the Nou Camp in April. The victory all but confirmed Madrid's 32nd Championship in what was a tremendous performance from Los Blancos. They started this season in poor form, but they have started to hit a decent spell in recent weeks.
5.23pmJust a reminder that kickoff is at 6.50pm this evening. We are expecting the team news in around 40 minutes time and we will bring it to you as soon as it becomes available. For now, I will lead you up to kickoff with a host of thoughts on the epic encounter.
5.20pmGood evening all! Well, does it get any bigger than this? There are a lot of big clashes in European football - Manchester United vs. Liverpool and AC Milan vs. Inter Milan to name but a few, but this is quite probably the biggest of the lot.
Written by
Matt Law
Matt Law
