18:00: Is this the real start of the season? Could this be the turning point to the season? Barcelona lead by 4 and with a win could stretch it to 7 points and start to run away with the title or can Madrid take the win and narrow the gap down to just the solitary point? Find out here live.
18:04: Just the one other game tonight, Sevilla host Mallorca. So 3 of the top 4 teams playing tonight. 1st vs. 2nd and Sevilla in 4rd play Mallorca in 19th. Both games kicking off at 19:00 this evening.
18:10: Few of the key picks from the gossip column for you today, Athletico Mardid are looking to bolster there already healthy forward line by placing a ?15.25m bid for CSKA Moscow player Vagner Love. Sevilla, one of the teams in tonight’s double header, are looking at a bid for Real Madrid’s Ruben de la Red, with an offer of around ?3.6m. In more transfer gossip involving Madrid, Juventus are pondering a bid worth ?5m for defender Christopher Metzelder.
18:13: Looks like we have a full house at the Bernabeu, expecting the crowd to be around 75,000 mark, whilst in comparison Sevilla are looking at an attendance of just 35,000.
JohnnyB on ChatToday: ‘Expecting Real to beat Barcelona tonight, some mighty forces in attack. They haven’t quite hit the straps this season but this could be the real turn around. Looking forward to a gud un!'
RafaelJulio on ChatToday: ‘BARCA! BARCA! BARCA! Vivo en Espana y me encanta Barcelona!’
18:17: Electric atmosphere building up here today, rumour has it there has been some fan violence just outside the ground with a few fans from either side they have been dealt with and ejected from the area. It’s not likely to just erupt in the stands but also on the pitch aswell. Expect a fierce game.
18:22: So the teams for today’s game are as follows;
Real Madrid: Casillas, Ramos, Metzelder, Jiranek, Arbeloa, Ronaldo, Alonso, Kaka, Snejider, Benzema, Van Nistelrooy.
Subs: Dudek, Robben, Diara, Guti, Albiol, Almeida, van der Vaart.#
Barcelona: Valdes, Alves, Puyol, Cordoba, Abidal, Srna, Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, Cardozo, Gudjohnsen.
Subs: Henry, Milito, Keita, Pinto, Marquez, Ibrahimovic, Moutinho
Referee: M Perez Lasa
Hedger_14 on ChatToday; ‘Barca look in top form. Still go Real to beat Barca and I wonder why Ibrahimovic is on the bench.’
mattfb on ChatToday: ‘Both teams are extremely strong but I think Barcelona will win 2-1.’
shantanu_rooney on ChatToday: ‘Hasn’t been the best of months for FC Barcelona, but they have been in great for. Barca v Real will be a thriller. Real Madrid are looking the strongest of the two sides…Can’t wait for the match result.’
18:31: Well Shantanu we can’t wait either, it is surely going to be a gem of a game, will hopefully be able to brighten up the dull weather outside. A bit chilly at 12 degrees Celsius at a spot of light rain. Described as ‘the sort of rain that gets you wet’. Wonder who came up with that one?
18:36: Jack Teague, Real Madrid manager on today’s game and trailing Barcelona by 4 points.
‘It’s never good to be below a team in the league but that’s the only way I feel that we are worse off than Barca. We have a much stronger squad and we are on a better run than Barcelona. I’m not going to beat around the bush with this one but I feel we are going to take this game and close the gap. A few things haven’t gone our way, injuries at key moments but we are hitting our straps now.’
BarcaFan on the text; ‘I never liked Jack Teague as a manger and now he has made himself even worse IMO. Barce are the much stronger team and have been playing the much better football.
18:39: Ollie Holden on today’s game,
‘It’s gonna be a good one, being a relatively new manager to the game I’m extremely excited, it was hard to make the choices for today’s game, everyone has been keen to impress during training this week and it has been a positive week. But you and I both know I can only pick 11 players to be on the pitch and If I could have my way I would have at least 15 out there. I’m looking to extend the 4 point advantage we currently have, but you know the Bernabeu is a hard place to come to. I’m looking forward to it’
Ollie Holden clearly a little more apprehensive than Teague, we know both managers aren’t gonna let it go though, both teams need the point but for different reasons.
18:45: Just 15 minutes untill the kick off and the butterflies are getting me not just the managers! Some banners around the place read ‘ Cristiano, will you marry me?’ , ‘Real Madrid the best team in the world!’ a Barcelona sign reads ‘Cristiano Ronaldo ?80m, a season ticket to watch Real Madrid ?765, a round of beers at the game ?35, the look on Real Madrid’s fan faces when they lose to Barcelona - Priceless!’
18:55: The players are making their way out to the pitch, Barcelona players greeted to a round of boo’s as Puyol leads his side out and forms a huddle on the left hand side of the bitch. Real Madrid greeted to huge cheers as Ramos leads his side out.
18:58: With the formalities over and done with, the handshaking and the coin toss done with. The players line up and wait for the referee to signal play to begin and kick off the game of the season. Teague and Holden stroll around their respective dugouts and have a hefty glare at each other which ends in a few words from either side. Tempers are flying already.
19:00: Cardozo flicks the ball to Gudjohnsen and the game begins, a passionate atmosphere in the ground tonight as the two biggest teams in La Liga face off in the most anticipated match up since the start of the season, this fixture has been being pushed back since day 1 of the season and all it has done is boost the reputation of the game and the rivalry between the two sides.
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