Reigning La Liga champions Barcelona will square off against arch-rivals Real Madrid in a highly-anticipated pre-season 2023 friendly at the AT&T Stadium in Texas. The Barcelona vs Real Madrid pre-season El Clasico will start at 2:30 AM IST on Sunday, July 30.
Under the tutelage of manager Xavi Hernandez, Barcelona will aim to produce a better defensive performance after succumbing to a 3-5 defeat against Arsenal in their previous pre-season fixture in the ongoing Soccer Champions Tour 2023.
While Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Ferran Torres netted goals for the Catalan giants, Barcelona were disappointing at the back as they conceded five to the Gunners.
Earlier, Barcelona were forced to cancel their first pre-season fixture against Juventus as a significant part of the Blaugrana squad was affected by a viral gastroenteritis.
On the other hand, Real Madrid head into the El Clasico brimming with confidence after beating Manchester United 2-0 in their second pre-season 2023 clash.
New summer signings Jude Bellingham and Joselu scored the goals for the 14-time UEFA Champions League winners.
Carlo Ancelotti’s Madrid started their pre-season 2023 with a 3-2 win over Serie A outfit AC Milan at the Rose Bowl in California.
Madrid could make few changes to their starting XI with the likes of Toni Kroos, Federico Valverde, Ferland Mendy and Eder Militao available for selection.
Barcelona vs Real Madrid head-to-head
Barcelona and Real Madrid have clashed in 253 official El Clasico matches so far. While Barcelona have registered 100 victories, Madrid have won 101 matches. As many as 52 matches have ended in draws.
Real Madrid thrashed Barcelona 4-0 in their last official fixture in the Copa del Rey semi-final earlier in April.
Where to watch Barcelona vs Real Madrid pre-season 2023 friendly live in India?
Barcelona vs Real Madrid pre-season 2023 friendly will be telecast live on Sony Ten 2 and Sony Ten 2 HD TV channels in India.
Live streaming of Barcelona vs Real Madrid pre-season 2023 friendly will be available on SonyLIV app and website in India.
Barcelona squad vs Real Madrid
Goalkeepers: Ter Stegen, Iñaki Peña, Ander Astralaga
Defenders: Araujo, Christensen, Marcos Alonso, Koundé, Eric Garcia, Iñigo Martínez, Lenglet, Mika Faye, Alex Valle, Julian Araujo
Midfielders: Oriol Romeu, Pedri, Franck Kessié, Sergi Roberto, De Jong, Gündogan, Gavi, Marc Casadó, Fermín López, Aleix Garrido
Forwards: Ousmane Dembélé, Robert Lewandowski, Ansu Fati, Ferran Torres, Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, Ez Abde
Real Madrid squad vs Barcelona
Goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois, Andriy Lunin, Lucas Cañizares, Luis López
Defenders: Carvajal, Militao, Alaba, Nacho, Odriozola, Vazquez, Fran Garcia, Rudiger, Mendy
Midfielders: Bellingham, Kroos, Modric, Camavinga, Valverde, Tchouameni, Guler, Paz
Forwards: Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo, Joselu, Diaz
Photo credit: Alamy
