While the notion of a ‘friendly’ ‘El Clasico’ may be hard to wrap your head around, that’s exactly what DStv subscribers will be treated to when La Liga giants Real Madrid and Barcelona meet at the MetLife Stadium in Rutherford, New Jersey, in the United States on the morning of Sunday 4 August 2024.
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Match background.
As a pre-season friendly, this match will naturally not have the same stakes and tension usually associated with ‘El Clasico’. However, bragging rights are still up for grabs, and both teams will want to leave their U.S. fans satisfied that not only did they get one over their archrivals, but point toward a strong 2024-25 campaign to come.
Real Madrid enjoyed a brilliant season in 2023-24, winning La Liga and the UEFA Champions League, and they have added arguably the world’s best player to their squad by signing Kylian Mbappe after the expiry of his contract with Paris Saint-Germain.
Barcelona, meanwhile, made a mess of their title defence and flattered to deceive in European competition, which has seen German Hansi Flick replace club legend Xavi Hernandez as manager. The former Bayern Munich man will need to lean heavily on Barca’s talented but raw youngsters, as they lack the finances to bolster their squad with big-name signings.
What the teams are saying
Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe has fulfilled a childhood dream by signing for Los Blancos:
“Since I was a kid, I had one dream, to play here. Being here means a lot to me… Now I want to achieve another dream, being at the level of this club, the best in the world. I can say one thing: I’ll give everything for this club and this badge.”
Barcelona manager Hansi Flick on how his philosophy aligns with Barcelona’s:
“The philosophy they have is like mine – ball possession and really attacking football, these are the things I love. I won some titles with Bayern Munich and my hunger is really big for titles. I would like to stay on this path with Barcelona and I think we can achieve a lot together.”
Players to watch.
Jude Bellingham – Real Madrid
The arrival of Kylian Mbappe has naturally made major headlines in the football world, but Real Madrid will still be reliant on the midfield genius of Jude Bellingham, who has a unique blend of technique and physical power that sets him apart.
Robert Lewandowski – Barcelona
The Polish striker had arguably the best spell of his career when he was under the management of Hansi Flick at Bayern Munich, and both he and the new manager will be hoping to revive that magic – starting with this ‘El Clasico’ clash.
Head-to-head
In head-to-head stats, Real Madrid and Barcelona have met in 299 matches across all competitions – including friendlies and exhibition games, such as this one will be – with the Blaugrana claiming 124 wins to 111 for Los Blancos.
Yet Real enjoyed strong dominance over Barca last season, winning all three of the teams’ meetings: 2-1 (away) and 3-2 (home) in La Liga, as well as a 4-1 thrashing in Saudi Arabia in the Spanish Super Cup.
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Broadcast details
Sunday 4 August
01:00: Real Madrid v Barcelona – LIVE on SuperSport Action and SuperSport Maximo 1
