Bit of nonsense between Ferland Mendy and Raphinha. The Barca winger goes down too easily after a slight arm to the chin.

A defeat today would put some pressure on Barcelona boss Xavi. They are set to exit the Champions League despite all that big spending against their future in the summer.

In all competitions, that was Karim Benzema's 12th Clasico goal in 40 games. That puts him in joint-eighth place.

That was Karim Benzema's eighth goal in 26 La Liga Clasicos. It's only his fourth league goal of the season.

Barca's Ousmane Dembele is offside, not for the first time, as he hammers a ball across the box.

Real right-back Dani Carvajal is just offside as he runs onto a diagonal ball.

Just the chances for the two Brazilian wingers so far.

Real inches away from the lead now as Ferland Mendy runs down the left and find Vinicius Jr. He jinks past a defender and his shot is then deflected *just* wide of the far post.

Barca attack again. Robert Lewandowski plays a lovely ball over the top to Ousmane Dembele but the Frenchman is offside. Dembele cuts in and fails to get a shot away before the flag goes up.

First chance is Barca's. Frenkie de Jong - who said this week that Barcelona tried to force him out - finds Raphinha, whose 20-yard curling effort is a simple save for Andriy Lunin.

A heavy touch by Barca keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen outside his box almost puts him in danger but he finds touch.

Good defending by Barca summer signing Jules Kounde to deny skill king Vinicius Jr on the wing.

Barca won this fixture 4-0 last season, back in March at the Bernabeu.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored twice with Ronald Araujo and Ferran Torres also netting. None of those players are starting today - and Auba has left.

We are under way at the Bernabeu.

Alex Bysouth
BBC Sport

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Real Madrid striker Benzema netted 44 times in 46 appearances last season to make himself the frontrunner for this year's Ballon d'Or as his team won La Liga and the Champions League.

So Barcelona moved for another of this generation's most renowned number nines in Robert Lewandowski, a player who reached 50 goals for Bayern Munich last season.

"Lewandowski has a lot of good things, mainly finishing, but all the other movements he does, he does without the ball," former Barcelona and Spain defender Albert Ferrer told BBC Sport.

"Benzema can score goals, but when he drops, when he links with midfielders, when he drops to the left to link with Vinicius Jr, he is very technical with the ball at his feet. He can create by himself.

"That is the main difference. With the ball, Benzema can do more things possibly than Lewandowski. Without the ball, Lewandowski is possibly better."

Read more here.

Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets makes his 44th Clasico appearance in all comptitions.

That is only one behind the all-time record of now PSG team-mates Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos.

Gerard Pique (40) and Karim Benzema (39) are not far behind. Pique could make it 41 if he comes off the bench today.

Barcelona are wearing an owl on the front of their shirt today - because of something to do with Drake the rapper.

It's his logo or something, I don't know.

A drake is a male duck so surely that would make more sense.

Anyway it's to do their sponsorship by Spotify.

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Barcelona are going into Sunday's Clasico at the Santiago Bernabeu level on points with Real Madrid at the top of La Liga and having conceded just one league goal all season.

Eyebrows were raised when the club splashed 145m euros in the summer on players, despite well-documented financial difficulties, but at first glance the numbers would suggest the gamble was paying off on the pitch.

Statistics in football should sometimes be taken with a pinch of salt.

Their past six La Liga games, in which they have not conceded at all, have been against the likes of Real Valladolid, Cadiz, Elche and Real Mallorca - sides not known for their goalscoring prowess.

The stats will also not tell you that on numerous occasions only the stunning form of goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen has kept the opposition at bay.

It's a different story when the bigger boys come to the party, though, and especially when you are left without your first-choice defenders to take them on.

This season, Barcelona have already conceded seven goals in four Champions League matches, losing two, drawing one and winning one.

If Barcelona lose against Real, it is going to be mayhem.

Read more here.

Real Madrid's first-choice keeper Thibaut Courtois is still out, meaning a Clasico debut for Andriy Lunin.

Midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni also makes his first appearance in this fixture.

Antonio Rudiger is only on the bench after needing 20 stitches to the head in midweek.

Robert Lewandowski is one of a few Barcelona players making their first Clasico appearances, along with Alex Balde, Jules Kounde and Raphinha.

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