Real will face Barca for the first time in October according to the new schedule announced by La Liga organizers on the evening of June 22.
La Liga announced the fixtures for next season after the draw at the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) headquarters in Las Rozas, a suburb of Madrid. Accordingly, the first El Clasico of next season will take place on October 29, in the 11th round. Barca are the hosts but the match will be held at the Olympic Stadium in Montjuic because the Camp Nou is under renovation. The return leg will take place on April 21 at the Bernabeu.
Barca won three and lost two of their five matches against Real last season. Photo: AFP
Last year, Real and Barca faced each other a total of five times. In La Liga, Real won the first leg 3-1 at home but lost the second leg 2-1 away. The Spanish Super Cup in January ended 3-1 in Barca's favor. The other two meetings were in the Copa del Rey semi-finals. Real lost the first leg 1-0 but won the second leg 4-0 and then beat Osasuna in the final to win the competition.
The new season of Spain's top flight kicks off on August 13 and ends on May 26, 2024. Barca will visit Getafe in the first round, then face Cadiz and Villarreal. Real will travel to Athletic Bilbao, then face Almeria and Celta Vigo. The "White Vultures" will visit city rivals Atletico on September 24, with the return leg taking place on February 4.
Carlo Ancelotti's side will play all three of their opening games of the season away from home before the Bernabeu is ready for them to play. After the end of the 2022-23 season, the stadium's management rushed to improve the grass surface and replace it with more sturdy seats. This is the first time the Bernabeu's stands have been replaced in 30 years. The seats will be changed from orange to grey. The Bernabeu is expected to be ready to host matches in September.
Barca won La Liga last season by 10 points over Real. It was the Catalan club's first Spanish title since 2019. This summer, Xavi tried to convince the board to bring Lionel Messi back but failed when the Argentine striker decided to go to the United States to play for Inter Miami.
Many sources confirm that Barca are about to recruit Man City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan on a free transfer. That will be a quality addition to their midfield.
Real have brought in midfielder Jude Bellingham, striker Joselu, midfielder Brahim Diaz and defender Fran Garcia. They hope to fill the void left by Karim Benzema after the striker moved to Saudi Arabia to play for Al Ittihad.
Atletico, along with Real Sociedad, Villarreal, Real Betis and Sevilla, are considered to be the teams capable of competing for a top four spot. Newly promoted Granada, Las Palmas and Alaves will face Atletico, Mallorca and Cadiz respectively on the opening day.
Duy Doan (according to ESPN )
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