La Liga: FC Barcelona gear up for 28th title as they take on defending champs Real Madrid in El Clasico clash

Barcelona [Spain], May 11 (ANI): FC Barcelona will face arch-rivals Real Madrid in La Liga 2024-25 at the Olympic Stadium on Sunday to move an inch closer to lifting the title for the 28th time. This would be their fourth meeting in the ongoing season, as per Olympics.com.

The Barcelona vs Real Madrid match starts at 7:45 PM Indian Standard Time (IST). The El Clasico, played between the two Spanish giants, is among the most fiercely contested affairs in world football.

The upcoming El Clasico could potentially shape the outcome of this season's La Liga. As things stand, Barcelona top the table with 75 points from 34 matches while Real Madrid sit second with 71 points from as many games.

A win for Hansi Flick-managed Barcelona would take them seven points clear with three matches to go while a victory for Carlo Ancelotti's Real Madrid would slash the gap to just one point.

Barcelona have already beaten Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup finals this year.

They also registered a dominant 4-0 win at the Santiago Bernabeu in the reverse La Liga fixture back in October, with Robert Lewandowski, Lamine Yamal and Raphinha getting on the scoresheet.

Lewandowski, with 25 goals, is the top scorer in La Liga 2024-25 and is followed by Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe, who has 24 goals to his name. Both Lewandowski and Mbappe are expected to feature in Sunday's fixture.

Barcelona have netted 12 goals across the three games against Real Madrid this season and conceded just four. The Copa del Rey final last month was the closest match of the lot, with Los Blancos eventually losing 3-2 in extra time.

The Spanish Super Cup final saw Barcelona emerge victorious with a 5-2 scoreline.

Overall, the two Spanish powerhouses have met in 260 head-to-head matches, with Real winning 105 times and Barca emerging victorious on 103 occasions. The two teams have drawn 52 times. (ANI)

(The story has come from a syndicated feed and has not been edited by the Tribune Staff.)