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Real Madrid logo
La Liga
Oct 25, 2014 at 5pm UK
 
Barcelona logo

3-1

Ronaldo (35' pen.), Pepe (50'), Benzema (61')
FT(HT: 1-1)
Neymar (4')

Preview: Real Madrid vs. Barcelona

Sports Mole previews the first El Clasico of the season between Real Madrid and Barcelona at the Bernabeu as Luis Suarez prepares to make his debut for the visitors.

Luis Suarez could make his long-awaited Barcelona debut when they travel to Real Madrid for the first El Clasico of the La Liga season on Saturday evening.

The Uruguayan striker joined Barca from Liverpool for £75m this summer but has been prevented from playing by the worldwide ban handed to him for his bite of Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup.

He watched the last game during his suspension on Tuesday evening as the Catalan giants recorded a 3-1 home victory over Ajax in the Champions League, in which Lionel Messi and Neymar both scored.

Luis Enrique may be tempted to start Suarez alongside his fellow South Americans, who have each netted in all of Barcelona's last five games, in a formidable forward line when they visit their biggest rivals.

Madrid themselves come into the game on the back of an impressive European result, having put Liverpool to the sword to win 3-0 at Anfield, with Cristiano Ronaldo notching before Karim Benzema's brace.

Ronaldo has a staggering 20 goals in 15 appearances this season and undoubtedly presents the biggest test yet of a Barcelona defence which has yet to be breached in their unbeaten start to the campaign.

Twenty-two points from eight games see Barca top the standings by three points from Sevilla, with Madrid one further back in third having recovered from two early defeats to win five La Liga matches on the spin.

Gareth Bale missed out on a return to British soil with a hip problem which will also sideline him from the encounter at the Bernabeu, so Isco will keep his place as one of three attacking midfielders.

El Clasico veteran Sergio Ramos is also a fitness doubt having picked up a calf injury. Raphael Varane is again in line to deputise in a defence which could feature Dani Carvajal rather than Alvaro Arbeloa at right-back.

Should Enrique gamble on Suarez, Pedro is the most likely to make way and other members of Barca's golden generation, Xavi and Gerard Pique, could strangely find themselves on the fringes of Clasico chaos.

Ivan Rakitic has nailed down Xavi's place in midfield, while Jeremy Mathieu's return to fitness puts Pique's inclusion in jeopardy, should Javier Mascherano be deployed in the centre of defence. Claudio Bravo will be recalled in goal after Marc-Andre ter Stegen was given a go in midweek.

Barcelona won both La Liga matches between the teams last season before Carlo Ancelotti's side gained revenge in the Copa del Rey final.

Recent form

Real: WWWWWW

Barcelona: WWWLWD

Possible starting lineups

Real: Casillas; Carvajal, Pepe, Varane, Marcelo; Kroos, Modric; James, Isco, Ronaldo, Benzema

Barcelona: Bravo; Alves, Pique, Mathieu, Alba; Busquets, Rakitic, Iniesta; Neymar, Messi, Suarez

Sports Mole says: 2-2


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Barcelona's Argentinian forward Lionel Messi (L) scores during the UEFA Champions League football match FC Barcelona vs Ajax Amsterdam at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on October 21, 2014
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Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Real Madrid31246167204778
2Barcelona31217362342870
3GironaGirona31205663392465
4Atletico MadridAtletico31194859362361
5Athletic Bilbao31169651292257
6Real Sociedad311311745331250
7Valencia31138103432247
8Real BetisBetis31111283837145
9Villarreal31109124954-539
10Getafe31912103743-639
11Osasuna31116143644-839
12Las PalmasLas Palmas31107142935-637
13Sevilla31810133944-534
14AlavesAlaves3188152638-1232
15Mallorca31613122536-1131
16Rayo Vallecano31613122538-1331
17Celta Vigo31610153346-1328
18CadizCadiz31413142141-2025
19Granada3138203260-2817
20Almeria31111193062-3214


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