Barcelona and Real Madrid to meet in October

September 01, 2020 | 11:21
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Barcelona will play Real Madrid in the first Clasico of the season at Camp Nou on October 25, after the La Liga fixtures were announced on Monday.
barcelona and real madrid to meet in october
FC Barcelona scarves for sale, some depicting the image of Barcelona's Argentinian forward Lionel Messi, are pictured outside the the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on August 26, 2020, in Barcelona. Six-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi told Barcelona he wants to leave -- on a free transfer -- in a "bombshell" fax yesterday that is expected to spark a legal battle over a buy-out clause worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Signalling the end of an era at Barcelona, where Messi is the record scorer and has won four Champions League titles, the disgruntled Argentine wants to terminate his contract "unilaterally" by triggering a release clause, a source told AFP.(photo: Pau BARRENA / AFP)

Barca and Madrid will then face each other at the Santiago Bernabeu on April 11, with Zinedine Zidane's side looking to defend the Spanish league title they won in July.

Whether Lionel Messi features in either match remains to be seen, with the Argentinian currently on strike and refusing to train as he tries to force his way out of the club this summer.

Barcelona are scheduled to start at home to Elche and Madrid at home to Getafe but both games will be rearranged to allow more rest for teams involved in last season's European competitions, which only ended in August.

Atletico Madrid's opener at home to Sevilla will therefore also be postponed.

Instead, Real Madrid are likely to begin at Real Sociedad on the weekend of September 20 before Barcelona are expected to start at home to Villarreal a week later.

All matches will continue to be staged behind closed doors and according to strict medical regulations aimed at reducing the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The first games of the new season will be played on the weekend of September 12, eight weeks after the 2019/20 campaign ended on July 19.

AFP

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