That's full-time! Pedri's late sending off didn't produce any difference in the game as Barcelona suffer 1-2 defeat at Santiago Bernabeu. With some key players missing, this was going to be a challenge for Hansi Flick's men. Xabi Alonso's Real Madrid were simply too good. If not for Wojciech Szczesny, they would've conceded a few more goals.

Barcelona midfielder Pedri receives second yellow card for a reckless foul, sent off. His sending-off triggers a big drama in the dugout that forces the officials to intervene. Vinicius Jr. wasn't happy seeing that sliding tackle from Pedri. 

Rodrygo tests Szcesny again, this time from a free-kick but the Barcelona goalkeeper sends it behind for a corner. We are into 100 minutes in the game. 

Rodrygo with a fine dribble and shot but it goes straight to Szczesny. On the counter-attack, substitute Casado launches an attack from distance but Tchouameni prevents sends it out for a corner. Just a few more minutes to hang on to for Real Madrid. 

Substitutions for Real Madrid: Kylian Mbappe is replaced by Dani Ceballos and Jude Bellingham as he is replaced by Gonzalo Garcia. We have 9 minutes of added time.

Mbappe with a fierce run again but his left-footed shot just wasn't on target. No trouble for Szczesny as the score remains 2-1. We'll soon know how much injury time we are going to get. 

Eduardo Camavinga has gone down for Real Madrid, probably an attempt to waste time but Barcelona can't do much at the moment. Just under 5 minutes of normal time left. 

A big substitution by Barcelona as defender Pau Cubarsi makes way for attacker Roony Bardghji. Just about 7 minutes of normal time to go. Barcelona are looking to reinforce their attack with more players. Can they equalise in the final minutes?

Mbappe through on goal with another threatening run but his shot was blocked by Araujo. That could've been 3-1 for Real Madrid but Barcelona still only one goal behind. 

Pedri with a brilliant run into the box but he had to pass the ball to Yamal after being surrounded by Real Madrid defenders. Still no focal point in Barcelona's attack, even after Ferran Torres was taken off for Marc Casado. 

Vinicius Jr extremely unhappy to see himself being replaced by Rodrygo in the 72nd minute. He let his frustration known to coach Xabi Alonso but can't do much about the decision. The Brazilian certainly would've wanted to score but the manager has other plans. 

Jude Bellingham scores his second goal of the game but it has been ruled out by the linesman, offside. The Englishman has been involved in almost every single Real Madrid attack today. A goal and an assist already. The linesman, however, ensured that the tally didn't increase in the 68th minute. 

Brahim Diaz on for Real Madrid in place of Arda Guler. The move does suggest that Real Madrid are more keen on holding on to this lead than scoring another. 

Ferran Torres, Lamine Yamal, Pedri combine to orchestrate a slow but promising attack for Barcelona. Eric Garcia advanced forward in a bid to launch a surprise attempt at goal but he was taken down by a tackle. Yamal then tries another audacious shot from distance which is way too far from the goal. 

Marcus Rashford floats a free-kick into the box, aiming for a Barcelona teammate. But the Real Madrid goalkeeper Courtois climbs high above everyone to confidently claim the cross and snuff out the danger.

Lamine Yamal puts on his dancing shoes in Real Madrid's penalty box but Alvaro Carreras' tackle prevented young attacker from converting the move into an attack. Barcelona still in the game but Real Madrid have displayed better control so far. 

Ohhh, Kylian Mbappe blows a huge chance to score his team's third goal. He sends the penalty to the left side of the goal, as the ever-reliable Wojciech Szczesny managed to stop the ball. Barcelona remain in the game, thanks to the Polish goalkeeper again!

That looks a certain handball by Eric Garcia inside the box, but the referee is not interested in pointing to the spot once again. Plenty of protests by Real Madrid players, but the referee remains unmoved. Garcia slid into a challenge against Jude Bellingham; he blocked the ball, but the ball bounced off his hand. The Barcelona man could not have done much to prevent that from happening, though.

Another VAR intervention in the game, and a penalty is given!

Marcus Rashford  with plenty of space to run on the left-flank. He had the opportunity to shoot but he chose to pass the ball to Fermin Lopez, who couldn't unleash a powerful shot. Another lacklustre attack by Barcelona. On the counter-attack, Vinicius Jr. forces a big save from Szczesny. Another corner for Real Madrid. 

Fasten your seat belts! The second half is set to begin. Barcelona, trailing 1-2, could end up conceding 2-3 goals more if they don't pull up their socks in the second half. We are underway!

A look at the Jude Bellingham assist for Kylian Mbappe for the opening goal:

Six minutes of injury time came to an end as the referee blew the whistle for half-time. It was a chaotic match so far, with many moments to cherish for Real Madrid, who were clearly the better side. Hansi Flick will need to come up with a better plan in the second half if Barcelona are to get a positive outcome from the game.

Is it 3-1 already? No, offside call saves Barcelona this time but Real Madrid have emerged as the clear heavyweights in the contest. The 7 injury concerns are truly hurting Barcelona's cause today. 

Just as it looked like we could be going into the second half with scores level 1-1, Jude Bellinghams puts the ball past Sczesny, thanks to Eder Militao's headed pass. From point blank range, there was no way Bellingham was missing that goal. 

GOAL! Fermin Lopez equalises! The youngster simply cannot stop scoring. Arda Guler looks to the sky, realising it was his mistake that costs his team the goal. No mistake from Barcelona this time: Marcus Rashford provides a brilliant pass to Fermin, who knows exactly what he has to do to beat Courtois. The game is fully alive!

Ferran Torres with an unforgettable miss! The Spanish forward finds himself in Real Madrid's penalty area after some sloppy defensive display by the hosts. However, his shot simply does not have enough power to beat Courtois. On the counter-attack, Vinicius Jr. forces a brilliant save by Szczesny. It's an end-to-end battle being displayed!

Wojciech Szczesny pulls off two important saves for Barcelona to keep the team in the game. Kylian Mbappe made himself some space inside the box to unleash a quick shot but Szczesny did well to stop him. Not long after, Dean Huijsen picks up a cross, forcing another save from the Polish keeper. Real Madrid testing Barcelona time and again.

GOAL! The flag stays down and Kylian Mbappe has put the ball in the back of the net. Another smart counter-attack by Real Madrid, finished off by the Frenchman. This time, there's no VAR intervention. June Bellingham with a brilliant through-ball that sees Mbappe breach Bacelona's offside trap before putting the ball past Szczesny. 

We are at the 20-minute mark and Real Madrid would be heartbroken by what has happened so far in the match. Barcelona have survived two close calls since the start. Hansi Flick's men could've been 0-2 behind in the game. 

Well, just as we thought that we have the first goal of the game, the VAR intervened and called Kylian Mbappe offside. This goal has been chalked off, with the game now 0-0 again. 

Kylian Mbappe, what was that? The Frenchman scores the goal of the season contender from outside the box. Szczesny had could only collect the ball after it had gone in the back of the net. Barcelona have enjoyed over 70% possession since the start of the season but it's Real Madrid who made it count. 

Rashford, Ferran, and Yamal with some easy passing moves right outside the penalty box before the 18-year-old looks to curl the ball into the top left corner from distance. The ball is wide off, and couldn't test Courtois in goal. 

Cesar Soto Grado thought Yamal reached the ball before Vinicius Jr. Hence, no penalty was given. Fede Valverde had a brief talk with the referee over the call but there isn't much that Real Madrid could do.

Lamine Yamal (Barcelona) carelessly slides into the feet of his opponent and he looks lucky to avoid punishment. Cesar Soto Grado blows for the foul but keeps his cards in his pocket on this occasion. Real Madrid have a penalty!

VAR check done and the penalty decision reversed.

Fermín playes a through-ball looking for Lamine Yamal early on, but Carreras cleared it up. Marcus Rashford then found himself with an opportunity to test Thibaut Courtois, but his shot was blocked. The resulting corner for Barcelona was an early one in the game, and Courtois punched it out convincingly.

The customary handshakes are done, the formations have been setup. We are now underway with the season's first El Clasico, a fixture that divides an entire country, unarguably the biggest showdown in club football. Who will have the bragging rights at the end of the match? Real Madrid are the favourites despite the recent history.

We are just minutes away from the showdown at Santiago Bernabeu. The practice sessions are over, and the players are lining up for season's first Clasico to begin.

Hansi Flick had a memorable game against Olympiacos in the Champions League mid-week that saw his team secure a 6-1 win. Against Real Madrid, the German coach has made multiple changes. Dutch midfielder De Jong returns from illness and replaces Casado while forward Ferran Torres starts ahead of attacking midfielder Dro Fernandez.

Defender Kounde was doubtful for the game because of a slight knock but he has been named in the starting XI. Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha's absence could be the differentiating factor in the game.

The changes in Real Madrid's starting XI are quite interesting. Xabi Alonso has made two changes to his side that started in their last game, a 1-0 home win over Juventus in the Champions League midweek.

Spanish defender Huijsen returns from injury and replaces Asencio while defensive midfielder Camavinga has been given the nod ahead of attacking midfielder Diaz. Fair to say that Alonso wants a more resolute midfield against Barcelona's free-flowing attack today.

All eyes will be on the two attacking phenoms: Kylian Mbappe for Real Madrid and Lamine Yamal for Barcelona, both of whom will likely be competing for Ballong d'Or next year. Mbappe, is Real Madrid's leading scorer, while the young Yamal has been the lynchpin for Barca's attack, arriving at Santiago Bernabeu with a point to prove.

The two starting XIs have been announced. It isn't often that we have seen Arda Guler and Jude Bellingham starting together this season. How they work with each other in the attacking midfield will be quite interesting to see. Here are the two starting XIs:

Real Madrid XI: Courtois; Valverde, Militao, Huijsen, Carreras; Tchouameni, Camavinga; Guler, Bellingham, Vinicius Jr; Mbappe.

Barcelona XI: Szczesny; Kounde, Garcia, Cubarsi, Balde; Pedri, De Jong, Lopez; Yamal, Torres, Rashford.

Both teams come into this in strong form, but Real Madrid will be desperate to put a stop to Barcelona's recent Clasico dominance. The home side lost all four meetings across all competitions last season. With Xabi Alonso as their new coach, Real Madrid have to bury the ghosts of the last campaign.

Real Madrid's key man remains the Frenchman Kylian Mbappe, who is also the league's top scorer with 10 goals. He looking for his first Clasico victory since joining Los Blancos.

Barcelona have a few key men, though the 17-year-old Lamine Yamal remains the absolute top. On-loan from Manchester United, Marcus Rashford has been an exciting addition to the team's roster this season. 

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the 2025-26 season is here! Real Madrid currently lead La Liga by just two points. A win for the home side gives them a significant cushion, but a victory for Barcelona puts the Culers top. Going by the form these two sides have shown this season, the fixture might already be crucial in the league title race.