Barcelona vs Real Madrid: 'El Clasico' kick-off time confirmed

La Liga Santander has announced the kick-off time for the first highly-anticipated "El Clasico" of the 2021/22 season. FC Barcelona will host Real Madrid at the Camp Nou on Sunday, October 24, with kick-off scheduled at 16:15 CEST.

The early schedule comes as a relief for football fans in Asia, who will be able to enjoy the game in the late evening instead of the usual pre-dawn kick off, which is prime time in Europe.

It will be a massive fixture for both clubs, as they face off for the first time without both their previous captains Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos. The two Spanish giants have had very different results so far this season, with Real Madrid having the upper hand.

Barcelona are sitting seven points behind Los Blancos in La Liga, after yet another disappointing draw this week against Cadiz. They also lost 3-0 against Bayern Munich in their UEFA Champions League Group Stage opener last week.

Meanwhile, Carlo Ancelotti's return has breathed new life into the Real Madrid squad. New arrivals David Alaba and Eduardo Camavinga have proven to be real gems, having both contributed significantly in the first few matches of the campaign.

Real Madrid are undefeated so far, and are on top of the table two points ahead of defending champions Atletico Madrid. They also secured a victory against Inter Milan in their UCL opener last week.

The morale is high for the visitors, while the situation is tense at the Camp Nou. In fact, manager Ronald Koeman may no longer be in charge when the Clasico comes around a month from now. Since last week, speculations were rife about his possible sacking, and two consecutive La Liga draws in the past week did not help his case.

Barcelona have a must-win Champions League match against Dynamo Kiev on October 20, just a few days before they welcome Real Madrid for El Clasico. The mood at the Camp Nou will be directly affected by that match, with the club in danger of an early exit after losing their opening group stage encounter.

Real Madrid will also be hoping to win against Shaktar Donetsk on Tuesday, after having lost twice against the same opponents last season.