El Clasico 2015: Live Stream Info and Latest Odds for Real Madrid vs. Barcelona

Real Madrid are slight favourites for the first El Clasico of the 2015-16 season when they take on Barcelona at the Bernabeu on Saturday.

According to Odds Shark, Los Blancos are 21-20 to win, while Barcelona are given a strong chance at 2-1. The pair haven't produced a stalemate in their last eight encounters in all competitions, so a draw is 27-10.

Read on for a full preview, but first here are the scheduling details for the unmissable showpiece:

Date: Saturday, Nov. 21

Time: 5:15 p.m. GMT/12:15 p.m. ET

TV: Sky Sports 2 (UK), beIN Sports USA (U.S.)

Live Stream: Sky Go (UK), beIN Sports Connect (U.S.)

Preview

League meetings between the perennial rivals are always crucial in the race for the La Liga title, and Saturday's battle of wits is no exception.

Real Madrid have the chance to pull level with Barca and indeed supplant them as league leaders thanks to a superior goal difference and head-to-head record.

Francisco Seco/Associated Press

Meanwhile, a win for the Blaugrana would see them extend their lead to six points—significant even at this fairly early stage as neither side tends to drop many points over the course of the season.

A draw wouldn't be disastrous for either, but it would afford Atletico Madrid the opportunity to make important gains on them both when they take on Real Betis on Sunday.

Bleacher Rerport's Marcus Speller and Dean Jones ran the rule over the key battles set to take place when the two sides meet:

All eyes will, of course, be on Lionel Messi and whether he is able to return to the action in some capacity after his spell on the sidelines. Encouragingly, the Argentinian has been able to train in the run-up to the game.

According to football journalist Dermot Corrigan, his team-mate Luis Suarez is confident the Argentinian can have a big impact even if he's only involved as a substitute:

Indeed, Messi's 21 goals in El Clasico make him the all-time top goalscorer in the match-up and 12 of them have come at the Bernabeu.

Should he fail to return to the starting lineup, Barca have shown they can cope without their talisman thanks to the incredible form of Suarez and Neymar. Squawka Football shares their impressive stats in Messi's absence:

Neymar in particular has shone:

The pair will no doubt play a key role in their side's fortunes, but they could face a tough task in breaking down Real.

Under new manager Rafael Benitez, Los Blancos aren't yet looking like a vintage Real Madrid side, but they are incredibly hard to beat.

Their loss to Sevilla in their last outing was not only the first time this season they've conceded more than once, it was the first time they've been behind.

However, at home to Barca, they will be under pressure to go out and attack, leaving them vulnerable to lightning-fast counter-attacks.

Despite notching 26 goals in their 11 league matches, Real haven't been particularly inspiring going forward with Cristiano Ronaldo having failed to find the net in seven of those. If they aren't ruthless enough to punish Barca when given the opportunity, Benitez could find himself under early pressure in his new post.