Barcelona have accumulated 42 points from their first 16 league matches (W13 D3). This is their fourth highest points tally at this stage of a season, equaling Real Madrid’s best start (2014-15 under Carlo Ancelotti).

Barca have hit the woodwork more times than any other side in Europe’s top five leagues this season (19).

Cristiano Ronaldo has scored in each of his last four games for Real Madrid (five goals), his best run this season.

Lionel Messi has scored 14 goals in La Liga this season and could be the only player to reach 15 goals in each of the last 10 seasons.

BBC World Service

Former Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon, who was in the role from 2006 to 2009, told BBC World Service: "It's no doubt one of the most important [Clasicos of recent years].

"It's more important for us than Barcelona. If they get a positive result, it will be really difficult to catch them.

"It's one of the best matches that can be watched in the world, with 22 incredible players and the top two among them. There's a lot of excitement and passion from the stands with hundreds of millions watching around the world. It's impossible to get more ingredients in a sports event."

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Could Zidane be under pressure with a big defeat?

"Every coach is under pressure here on this bench. Only one coach in 48 years has been more than three years on that bench," said Calderon.

"I hope not. He did a fantastic job in the last two years with two Champions Leagues in a row, something nobody did before.

"But it's true this club is very special, very difficult if the team doesn't win the titles and matches fans expect to.

"It's too early, I don't think the pressure will decide that now."

Good omens for Real Madrid...

Real Madrid have won their last two Clasicos (both in the Spanish Super Cup this summer). The last time they won three games in a a row against Barca was 1978

Zinedine Zidane could become the first Real Madrid coach to win three consecutive Clasicos since Alfredo di Stefano, (four between 1983 and 1990 over two spells).

Ernesto Valverde could become the second Barcelona manager to lose his first three Clasicos (Patrick O'Connell in 1940, four straight defeats).

Image source, Getty Images

Good omens for Barcelona...

Barca have the chance to win three consecutive La Liga matches against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu for the first time in the club's history.

Real have lost their three La Liga Clasicos at the Bernabeu with Gareth Bale.

Real Madrid are 11 points behind Barcelona - this is the biggest points difference for the first league meeting between the two sides since three points were awarded for a win in 1995-96.

John McEnerney: Real Madrid could do with a decent defensive midfielder but there isn’t too many out there that aren’t Champions League cup tied or of the quality of a Claude Makelele or Roy Keane. They have enough quality and should be OK by the time the Champion League games come around. Today may be the day they bounce back, going for a score draw!

Julien Laurens
Euro Leagues Football Show on BBC Radio 5 live

Real Madrid made history after two Champions Leagues in a row. They won five trophies in a calendar year, which nobody had ever done. Well done to them.

Now they've got their biggest game of the season - much bigger than Gremio or Al Jazira [in the Club World Cup]. El Clasico is huge because since 2012-13, they were never so many points behind Barcelona coming into this game, 11 points now. It was 16 then.

It's a huge game for them. They look better, they played better. They're on a good run now and need to show it on Saturday.

I think it will be a draw, I don't think Real Madrid will lose at home.

Listen here.

A break-up of the BBC v MSN rivalry this season, with Neymar having left Barcelona. (ANd Bale no longer an automatic pick for Real).

Instead of preparing for El Clasico, Neymar has been in Qatar with PSG kicking his boot into the water.

Will: On paper I would say Barcelona look favourites however everything goes out the window for El Clasico!

You might be wondering why El Clasico is at 12:00 GMT (1pm Spanish time) today. Well 'against modern football' types won't like the answer too much.

It's so it's on at a sociable hour for people watching in Asia.

"La Liga is a global entertainment spectacle, last year 2.6 billion people around the world were following La Liga and many of those are in Asia," the league's head of global communications Joris Evers said.

"We are keen to give them the opportunity to watch the Clasico without needing to stay up until the middle of the night or set an alarm to wake up very early."

Raphael Honigstein
Euro Leagues Football Show on BBC Radio 5 live

Barcelona's third goal against Deportivo last weekend was how we used to know and love them. It was unbelievable. If they're coming into form now, this is going to be very tough for Real Madrid.

Real Madrid have a structure under Zidane that other coaches weren't able to do, as it's pragmatic in big games. Other coaches would have had Florentino Perez in their ear saying 'you have to play more attacking players, this isn't the Real Madrid way'.

But Zidane is Zidane - so he can do whatever he wants. So if he thinks Casemiro is the most important man on the pitch, then he will always play.

They've got a chance, but Barcelona's passing and rhythm that they have lost the last couple of years, suddenly it's back. It will be tough.

Do Real Madrid need to enter the transfer market next month to close the gap on Barcelona?

Who do you think Real should try to sign? Who could be the 2018 Thomas Gravesen or Julien Faubert?

Let us know using #bbceurofooty on Twitter.

Image source, .

Barcelona, on the other hand, have enjoyed a great season since Ernesto Valverde replaced Luis Enrique in the summer.

They are yet to lose a La Liga game since his appointment, winning 13 and drawing three to sit six points above second-placed Atletico Madrid.

Their only two defeats were the first two games of the season, against Real in the Spanish Super Cup.

They are also unbeaten in the Champions League, finishing top of Group D above Juventus, and through in the Copa del Rey.

Zinedine Zidane's Real Madrid were favourites to win La Liga this season, having won last season's Spanish title - as well as two Champions Leagues in a row.

But they have struggled this season - arguably after losing some of their squad members in the summer like Alvaro Morata, James Rodriguez, Danilo and Pepe - and are fourth, 11 points behind leaders Barcelona.

However, they have won the Spanish Super Cup (against Barca), the Uefa Super Cup (against Manchester United) and the World Club Cup final (against Gremio).

They are still in the Copa del Rey and Champions League, where they finished second to Tottenham in Group H.

Image source, #bbceurofooty

Real Madrid face a must-win Clasico on Saturday, and Gareth Bale is hoping to use the game as an opportunity to cement his long-term future at the club.

La Liga's reigning champions are fourth in the table heading into the game, 11 points behind table-topping Barcelona - albeit with a game in hand - having dropped points in six of their 15 league games.

Bale has been absent for the majority of the campaign with a series of injuries, and those continual physical problems have led to speculation the club are willing to sell him.

Read Andy West's piece here.

Real Madrid make one change from the side who beat Gremio in the World Club Cup final. Mateo Kovacic replaces Isco in midfield in maybe a slightly solidifying move. Gareth Bale - as expected - is on the bench.

Barcelona also remove an attacker from their team. Sergio Busquets takes Paco Alcacer's place from the 4-0 win over Deportivo. The fact that it's their only change means Thomas Vermaelen starts El Clasico.

Real Madrid: Navas, Carvajal, Varane, Ramos, Marcelo, Casemiro, Modric, Kroos, Kovacic, Ronaldo, Benzema

Barcelona: Ter Stegen, Roberto, Pique, Vermaelen, Alba, Busquets, Rakitic, Iniesta, Paulinho, Messi, Suarez

Image source, Getty Images

It seems quite apt that, two days before Christmas, match official Jose Maria Sanchez Martinez will be handing out a lot of cards today.

El Clasico might not be quite as fiery as the days of Jose Mourinho poking Tito Vilanova in the eye, but it's still one of the most hotly contested rivalries in football.

(I promise these two opening entries are the only ones with festive puns you'll see here for the rest of the day)

He's making a list and checking it twice,

Gonna find out who's naughty and nice.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

No, not Santa Claus - it's today's El Clasico referee.