What channel is Real Madrid vs Barcelona? How to watch October 16 La Liga showdown
An estimated 700 million fans in more than 200 countries around the world will tune in to see the first El Clasico of the La Liga season when Real Madrid host Barcelona on Sunday.
The matchup is another potential title decider after Barcelona appear to have overcome their struggles on and off the field for the last few years. The Blaugrana go into the game first, even level on points with Real Madrid, but ahead on goal difference.
Both teams have identical unbeaten records and have won seven of their eight games so far, with the other ending in a draw. Barcelona’s run earlier in the season was more impressive in terms of goals scored (20) and goals conceded.
Here you will find all the information you need to watch the game or you can follow the Sporting News live blog.
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Real Madrid vs. Barcelona TV channel, live stream
| date | time | TV channel | stream | |
| Australia | Mon 17 Oct | 01:15 CEST | — | Opus Sport |
| Canada | Sun 16 Oct | 10:15 ET | TSN3 | TSN site/app |
| India | Sun 16 Oct | 19:45 ET | sports18 | Voot Select |
| Malaysia | Sun 16 Oct | 22:15 MT | be in sports | beIN Connect |
| New Zealand | Mon 17 Oct | 03:15 NZST | Sky Sports 7 beIN Sports | beIN Connect |
| Singapore | Sun 16 Oct | 10:15 p.m. SST | be in sports | beIN Connect, StarHub TV+ |
| United Kingdom | Sun 16 Oct | 15:15 CET | Premier Sports 1, LaLigaTV | Prime Player HD |
| United States of America | Sun 16 Oct | 10:15 ET | ESPN deported | fuboTV, ESPN+ |
UNITED KINGDOM: Sunday’s El Clasico mighty tilt will be shown in the UK on Premier Sports 1 and LaLigaTV. It can be streamed via Premier Player.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: The game between Real Madrid and Barcelona from the Bernabeu can be seen in the US on ESPN Deportes. It can also be streamed along with all other La Liga games on ESPN+.
ESPN Deportes is also available to stream on fuboTV, and there’s a special offer: $40 off the Latino Pack quarterly plan through October 16th. It’s available for only $59.
Canada: The game will be broadcast in Canada on TSN3, which can also be streamed via the TSN app or the official website.
Australia: Australia’s exclusive broadcaster for La Liga is Optus Sport, which is also the exclusive broadcaster for the Premier League.
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Karim Benzema versus Robert Lewandowski in the Clasico
This El Clasico will also feature an intriguing subplot: two of the world’s best forwards go head-to-head.
In his first rivalry game in Spain since his summer transfer, Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski will look to outshine Real Madrid star Karim Benzema.
Madrid’s French striker (three goals) should be particularly motivated as he is the reigning top scorer in Spain and has not scored in La Liga since August 28. He missed three games through injury. He has a lot to do to catch up with Lewandowski (nine goals) at the top of the scorers’ list.
Benzema is also expected to be crowned the best player in the world at Monday’s Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris. A few goals and an El Clasico win leading up to the award would really get the hype machine into overdrive.
MORE: Updated La Liga top scorers list
Why Barcelona are under pressure to beat Real Madrid
Make no mistake: both teams always want to beat their rivals when the opportunity presents itself. But winning this game could mean more for Barcelona.
Real Madrid undertook a La Liga/Champions League double last season with an established squad that is expected to continue clinching trophies in 2022/23.
However, Barcelona is at a very different point. Far from having the swagger of a champion, they must prove they have what it takes to compete for Silverware again after stuttering amidst financial woes and leadership changes in recent seasons. That starts with the domestic league competition.
Add that Barcelona failed to beat Italian club Inter Milan in their midweek Champions League clash, which will likely lead to the side’s elimination from the prestigious tournament. It would be the second season in a row that the club had been eliminated from the group stage, costing them millions in lost knockout round earnings.
Coach Xavi Hernandez losing a major title is the last thing he needs to suffer a setback in the other big competition of the season. Instead, he must show that his vision, coaching philosophy and player recruitment can help the club return to the top of European football. That came into question in the last few days and he had to answer questions about his future ahead of the game.
How desperate could Xavi be to avoid a negative result? In the media it is said that he pulls out all the stops with the line-up.
With the few injuries the club is struggling with, young left-back Alejandro Balde could be moved to right-back to eradicate the threat of Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr. Gerard Pique could be benched for Jules Kounde to pursue Benzema.
Real Madrid or Barcelona? Which club has won El Clasico more times?
Sunday’s game will be the 250th El Clasico in teams’ history.
Of the 249 previous games, Real Madrid have won exactly 100, while Barcelona have won 97. The other 52 games ended in a draw.
Not only are the records reasonably balanced, but so is the number of goals scored. Real Madrid have scored 415 times against Barcelona and the Blaugrana have retaliated 408 times.
The last meeting between these two sides took place in the summer during a rare pre-season game. Barcelona won 1-0 with a goal from Raphinha in front of a raucous crowd in Las Vegas.
Before that, the last La Liga showdown came on March 20, 2022 and it was memorable as Xavi guided the team to a 4-0 win at the Bernabeu. Nobody forgets 4-0 results in this rivalry.