Event of the Day: Real Madrid v Barcelona

Our event of the day is the La Liga clash between Real Madrid and Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid. Although they had beaten their bitter rivals Barcelona both home and away to win the Spanish Super Cup trophy back in August, Real have had a relatively slow start to the season and are in fourth position in the league, with a game in hand, but 11 points behind league leaders Barcelona. The Madrid side however, awaits another El Clásico in good spirits, having become FIFA Club World Champions for the third time with a 1-0 win against Grêmio last Saturday. They are also unbeaten in the last 10 games in all competitions. The Catalan side immediately recovered from their Super Cup failure in August and went on an impressive 24-game run without a defeat in all competitions, including 4-0 home triumph over Deportivo La Coruña on Sunday. If they win today, Barca could make another big step towards the La Liga title, but also put their biggest opponent and rival out of the race, as this is a real must-win derby for the home team. 

Regarded as the biggest football fixture in the last decade, this match is also a showdown of the two best players in the world in this same period. Barcelona’s attacker Lionel Messi is on top of his game once again and is the leagues’ top goalscorer with 14 goals. Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo, winner of five Ballon d’Or awards just like Messi, has upped his performances recently as well, scoring six times in the last five games, including a free kick winner in the FIFA Club World Cup final. It’s going to be a spectacular football game between the two fierce rivals at the Santiago Bernabéu.

 

Honourable mentions around the globe go to the NHL game between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Washington Capitals at the Las Vegas T-Mobile Arena. Both teams are having a strong campaign as the Golden Knights occupy the second position in the Western Conference with 46 points from 33 matches, while the Capitals sit third in the Eastern Conference with 46 points from 36 games. Further NHL action includes the duel of the San Jose Sharks and the Los Angeles Kings at the SAP Center in San Jose, as well as the meeting between the New York Islanders and the Winnipeg Jets at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. In the NBA, the Golden State Warriors host the Denver Nuggets at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, whilst the Miami Heat take on the New Orleans Pelicans at the American Airlines Arena in Miami. There are two NFL games, with the Baltimore Ravens taking on the Indianapolis Colts at the M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore; and the Green Bay Packers up against the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field in Green Bay. In the Big Bash League, the Sydney Sixers face the Perth Scorchers at the Sydney Cricket Ground, while the Melbourne Renegades play the Brisbane Heat at the Etihad Stadium in Melbourne. The PDC World Darts Championship continues at Alexandra Palace in London.

 

Whatever you’re watching, enjoy!

 

Fixture

 

Photos by Real Madrid; Barcelona FC