As we mentioned in the update Barcelona’s starting XI, Gonzalo Higuain is set to miss El Clasico after failing a late fitness test. Real Madrid will start Karim Benzema in his place, though aside from that, José Mourinho’s lineup is as expected:
El Clasico, Barcelona Vs. Real Madrid: Gonzalo Higuain Out, Karim Benzema In Madrid’s Starting LIneup
Real Madrid XI vs Barcelona: Casillas, Ramos, Carvalho, Pepe, Marcelo, Alonso, Khedira, Ozil, Di Maria, Ronaldo, Benzema #fb
FourFourTwo
FourFourTwo
This will deploy as a more 4-2-1-3 version of the current formacion du jour, with the hope being that whomever is on Dani Alves’s side will help to pin the advancing Barcelona wing back. If you want an early indication of how this match might turn, look and see how Barcelona’s back line adjusts to this. Will they persist in playing Alves in an advanced position when in possession, or will Alves be restrained?
In other news, Ricardo Carvalho and Sami Khedira are both cleared to play, a huge boost of Real Madrid. Those two will be crucial to how Madrid handles David Villa and Xavi Hernández.
Substitutes have also been announced. Here are the benches, courtesy of FourFourTwo:
Subs: (Barca) Pinto, Maxwell, Adriano, Mascherano, Keita, Jeffren, Bojan (Real) Dudek, Arbeloa, Albiol, M. Diarra, Leon, L. Diarra, HiguainFourFourTwo
FourFourTwo
Higuain is on the bench for Mourinho. He and Pedro Leon are the only attacking players at the coach’s disposal. Barcelona’s bench is as you’d expect, with Javier Mascherano starting on the sidelines after being bypassed in favor of Sergio Busquets.
We are about 25 minutes from kick-off at the Nou Camp. Stay with SB Nation Soccer as we provide you live updates throughout the course of the season’s first Clasico.
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