^ ^ Real Madrid vs Barcelona: start time, team news, TV channel and live stream

Barcelona and Real Madrid do battle in La Liga (Pictures: Pedro Salado/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images, Denis Doyle/Getty Images)

Real Madrid host Barcelona in the first El Clasico match of the La Liga season.

First meets second with both teams locked on 22 points at the top of the La Liga summit.

Managers Carlo Ancelotti and Xavi have guided their teams to an unbeaten start in the league with seven wins from eight.

The meeting between the two giants will be an early indication as to which team are favourites to lift the league title when La Liga wraps up in May 2023.

Here is your full lowdown ahead of the biggest rivalry in European football.

Real Madrid are defending their league title won last year (Picture: Jose Manuel Alvarez/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)

What time does Real Madrid vs Barcelona start?

Real Madrid vs Barcelona will be held on Sunday, October 16.

The match at the Santiago Bernabeu will begin at 3.15pm BST.

How to watch Real Madrid vs Barcelona on TV and live stream

El Clasico will be shown live in the UK on Premier Sports 1, with coverage getting underway from 3pm.

Fans can access the Premier Sports channels from £9.99 a month on Sky and from £12.99 a month on Virgin Media.

For information on how to subscribe to the platform, visit the Premier Sports website.

Xavi has Barcelona firing on all cylinders again (Picture: Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

What is the Real Madrid and Barcelona team news?

Thibaut Courtois was absent from the 1-1 draw with Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League on Tuesday but could return in time for the match.

Dani Ceballos remains sidelined with a hamstring injury and will be unavailable for selection for another month.

In the Barcelona camp, Memphis Depay remains out with a hamstring strain.

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Centre back Ronald Araujo has undergone thigh surgery and will not return until after the World Cup.

Araujo’s defensive colleague Andreas Christensen will miss the game after injuring his ankle against Inter Milan last week.

Hector Bellerin is still struggling with a calf problem picked up in training but the former Arsenal defender is expected to return before the end of the month.

MORE : Lionel Messi angers Barcelona fans for ‘liking’ Instagram post after Inter Milan’s draw at the Camp Nou

MORE : Xavi admits Barcelona ‘don’t deserve to be in the Champions League’ after Inter Milan draw

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