Real Madrid vs. Barcelona: El Clasico 2014 Live Stream, Predictions and More
Real Madrid and Barcelona face off for the first El Clasico of the season in La Liga on Saturday, with Los Blancos currently four points behind their table-topping rivals.
A win for the hosts at the Bernabeu would see them move within one point of Barca, but a loss could be catastrophic in their long-term pursuit of the La Liga title.
After four months out through suspension, Luis Suarez is finally set to make his competitive debut for the Camp Nou giants, but another superstar, Real's Gareth Bale, is set to miss out through injury, per Joe Bernstein on MailOnline.
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However, with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, James Rodriguez and Neymar all set to appear, there will be no dearth of quality. Provided here are all the details for how to watch the match as well as a handful of predictions as to how things will play out in Madrid.
Date: Saturday, Oct. 25
Time: 5 p.m. BST, noon ET
TV Info: Sky Sports 5 (from 5:15 p.m. in the UK due to TV restrictions), beIN Sports 1 (U.S.)
Live Stream: Sky Go, beIN Sports Connect
Barcelona's Clean-Sheet Record to Go
Not the boldest of predictions considering Real's attacking force—they have scored 30 goals in eight league matches already this season—but Barcelona have been incredibly frugal in defence this season.
Indeed, they have yet to concede a goal in domestic competition so far, but that record will likely have disappeared come Saturday night.
Not least is the fact that Ronaldo seemingly cannot stop scoring goals, the Portuguese having bagged 18 in 10 league and Champions League matches already this season, per WhoScored.com.
The former Manchester United man is aiming for a personal record on Saturday, per Opta, yet another incentive that makes it very likely he will get on the scoresheet:
Equally, striker Karim Benzema has been in fine form this season in both a scoring and creative sense, per WhoScored:
Furthermore, not since a Champions League tie in April 2011 have Real failed to score in a Clasico, per Soccerbase.com, and with their attack as good as it is in 2014, that is not likely to change on Saturday.
The likes of Gerard Pique, Jeremy Mathieu and keeper Claudio Bravo have performed admirably so far this season, but their La Liga clean-sheet streak will not stretch to nine games.
Suarez to Score from the Bench
Two predictions in one here because it assumes that Suarez will not be starting at the Bernabeu. There has been much discussion as to how Luis Enrique will deploy the Uruguayan, with the Barca boss confirming he will play, per the club's website:
However, as he has not played competitively for four months since his suspension for biting Italy's Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup, he is not going to be match fit.
It would make much more sense to keep him fresh and release him onto a tired Real defence after an hour or so than to play him from the start.
If he does come off the bench, he is very likely to get on the scoresheet as his phenomenal movement, pace and vision will be a nightmare for the opposition deep into what should be a highly competitive match.
The Uruguayan scored 31 goals in 33 appearances for Liverpool last season, and if he gets his chance—as he will do with the creativity of Neymar and Messi around him—he should open his account for Barca on Saturday.
Predicted Final Score: 2-2
