Real Madrid Hosts Barcelona in First El Clasico

Real Madrid and FC Barcelona are set to face off in the first El Clasico of the 2024/25 season at Santiago Bernabeu, with Barcelona leading La Liga by three points. Both teams have notable absences; Real Madrid will miss Thibaut Courtois and Rodrygo due to injuries sustained in a recent Champions League match against Borussia Dortmund. Andriy Lunin will replace Courtois, while Lucas Vazquez steps in for the injured Dani Carvajal. Despite these setbacks, Real Madrid's lineup features key players like Vinicius Jr., Kylian Mbappe, and Jude Bellingham. Barcelona, led by manager Hansi Flick, will rely on their defensive duo of Jules Koundé and Inaki Pena in goal to contain Real's offense. The match will be broadcast on ESPN+, with significant implications for the La Liga standings as Madrid aims to level points with Barcelona.