Barcelona vs. Real Madrid Live Stream: When and Where to Catch Huge Showdown

El Clásico is the greatest rivalry in club football. Any time Barcelona and Real Madrid battle, pride and passion make for a must-see event.

This contest is part of the 2012 Spanish Super Cup. Madrid earned a spot in the fixture by winning La Liga, while Barça is challenging their rivals as the Copa Del Rey champions.

Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and several of the game’s biggest stars will take the pitch in this epic contest.

Here is how you can catch every minute online.

When: Thursday, August 23, 4:30 p.m. ET

Where: Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain

Live Stream: ESPN3

Biggest Storyline: Tito Vilanova’s First Clásico

Tito Vilanova is stepping into Pep Guardiola’s shoes, which will not be an easy task. He has never been a head coach during his young managerial career.

The matchup with Madrid is always heated, but it will be even more emotional for Vilanova after Jose Mourinho poked him in the eye during last year’s Super Cup.

There is always the possibility in this fixture that cooler heads do not prevail, and it will be interesting to see how Vilanova deals with the spotlight in this intense match.

Player to Watch for Barcelona: Lionel Messi 

Who else? Messi is the best player in the world, despite rumblings that Cristiano Ronaldo deserves the Ballon d’Or over him this year. He is a magician with the ball at his feet and often has a special trick up his sleeve for his biggest rival.

Messi has scored 13 goals in 19 appearances against Madrid, but he has failed to get on the scoresheet in the past four matchups. The last time he scored against the Galácticos was in the Super Cup this past season, when he scored three goals in the two legs to help Blaugrana win 5-4 on aggregate.

Player to Watch for Real Madrid: Cristiano Ronaldo 

Again, who else? Messi has been shut out of the last four Clásicos, but Ronaldo has put his name on the score sheet in each of the past three. While Messi is the best footballer in the world, Ronaldo is the only other player in the argument.

Madrid took the La Liga title away from Barcelona after the Catalan giants had won the league in three consecutive seasons. Madrid will be looking to keep their advantage over their archrivals, and the team will likely need a goal from Ronaldo to accomplish this.

Key Matchup: Barcelona Strikers vs. Madrid Center Backs

It is remarkably difficult to pick out a weak spot on either of these teams, but Madrid will be missing first-choice center-back Pepe after he knocked heads with goalkeeper Iker Casillias in the team’s La Liga opener against Valencia.

Raul Albiol is his likely replacement, and he will be a serviceable substitution. Still, against the most dangerous team in the world, Mourinho would certainly feel more comfortable with Pepe on the field.

Prediction: Barcelona 3, Real Madrid 2

Messi will get back on the score sheet, and Pepe’s absence will hurt Madrid. This will not be a conservative Clásico; there will be plenty of goals to entertain the fans. Ultimately, Barça gets the best of Madrid in this leg.