The 167th La Liga 'Clasico' between Barcelona and Real Madrid at the Nou Camp on Saturday could be the ideal stage for Gareth Bale and Neymar to show they are worth a combined price tag of almost £135 million.

Or, as is more likely, one of the most intense rivalries in football and a match watched by hundreds of millions around the world will again showcase the peerless talents of Barca's Argentine World Player of the Year Lionel Messi and Real's Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo.

However, fans in Britain will have to be content with 75 minutes of fun and frolics - archaic scheduling laws mean that no live football can be shown on UK TV between 2:45pm and 5:15 pm, as it clashes with the standard 3pm fixture list; as such, viewers on Sky Sports will see their coverage begin 15 minutes after kick-off.

Leaders Barca dropped their first points of the campaign with a 0-0 draw at Osasuna last weekend and victory for Real, as well as providing a huge confidence boost, would put them level with their bitter rivals on 25 points from 10 games.

Wales winger Bale replaced Ronaldo as the most expensive player in history when he joined Real from Tottenham Hotspur for a fee of £86m in the close season, while Barca paid some £49m to lure Brazil forward Neymar from Santos.

Bale's first weeks in the Spanish capital have been disrupted by injury but coach Carlo Ancelotti hinted that the 24-year-old could feature from the start against Barca after coming on as a second-half substitute in Wednesday's 2-1 Champions League victory at home to Juventus.

Neymar, 21, has shown glimpses of the brilliance that has served his country so well in recent years - he scored the goal against Atletico Madrid that secured the Spanish Super Cup at the end of August - without really catching fire.

Saturday's match will also give Barca coach Gerardo Martino and Ancelotti their first taste of Spain's 'Clasico'. Argentine Martino and Italian Ancelotti, both hugely experienced and unlikely to be fazed by the occasion, are still tinkering with squads they inherited from Tito Vilanova and Jose Mourinho in the close season.

Ancelotti's task has been complicated by the arrivals of a host of new faces along with Bale, including Spain playmaker Isco and midfielder Asier Illarramendi, and Real have been less than convincing in several La Liga outings this term.

Although they won their opening nine matches, one short of the La Liga record held by Real, Barca have struggled to break down defence-minded teams despite Martino's attempts to introduce a more direct style of attack. Whatever happens on Saturday will not necessarily be decisive for the La Liga title race but could have a profound psychological effect on the players.

Neymar, for one, is taking it all in his stride. "I think the nerves are the same in all the games you play," he told Barca TV. "I know that it's about a very important 'Clasico' but I think the feeling of having butterflies in your stomach is the same as before a normal match."

Real hold the upper hand in league games against Barca, with 70 victories to 64 since they first locked horns in 1929. Under Mourinho last term, they drew 2-2 at the Nou Camp and won 2-1 at the Bernabeu but surrendered their Spanish title to Barca largely because of a stuttering start to the campaign.

There's no El Classico like the Barca-Madrid one. This is the match that football lovers throughout the world always anticipate.

[color=#770077][/color]madrid 4 sure.***celebratin messi's absence**

The date was not hidden before...Its only the time that's just made known and don't be surprised, it can be changed.

On the other side, Real Madrid is nowhere ready for this encounter because Barcelona is "Mes Que Un Club"
Up Barcelona!

Nomski0: Team Cr7
Team Bale
Team Di Maria.
Team crush Barcelona(but Neymar must score)

am beginin to get jelosss..plz jux say #team kiz-mart..@me

Cnt wait 4d return of d messiless soccer god

Barca i represent!!!

Victory is our birth-right

Weda real Madrid dey form or not,them go still beat barca


Stupid league! Very borin
Two man league
I rather watch french n german league

#TeamBarca Representing

Adufaye: Weda real Madrid dey form or not,them go still beat barca


Stupid league! Very borin
Two man league
I rather watch french n german league

Why talking like this?...

Nomski0:
After the 7up drink from the German Giants......you still hype yourselves so?

jeeezz...

Datz d only weapon anti-barca has..

4get it..itz HISTORY alredi...dnt dwell in d past #team barca..

Adufaye:


Stupid league! Very borin
Two man league
I rather watch french n german league

stupid league..bt it cn boast of world classic players nd all time most expensive... They alwayz have representative till in evry UCL semi-final nd mayb finals

Remember spain are current europe nd world best!!



...xo whtz ur point

Nomski0:
I only ever bother with them because of Neymar.
#team Madrid all da way.
I hala Madrid

really

What about meeee

Nomski0:
You're a barça fan na.....i really dont agree with them. They pick on Ronaldo.

lolzz..sure..
Itz in d gene..


I Must confess..I Lov ur interest in soccer..itz rare

Nomski0:
Thanks.

u welcom miss

@barca fanz:

dnt u guys tink itz high tym ronaldo gets a balon d'or

Lets plead wit lord messi **no offence intended**

Afam4eva: There's no El Classico like the Barca-Madrid one. This is the match that football lovers throughout the world always anticipate.

Petitio principi much!

Nomski0:
He's gonna get it with or without you guys pleading with Messi.....you just watch this coming season. Madrid is crushing Barcelona.#fact.

there u go..

D li2 probz av got wit Ronaldo nd d madrid family is PRIDE..

I dnt c Ronaldo near dat dix season..til 2018...

U all nid PATIENCE

Adufaye: Weda real Madrid dey form or not,them go still beat barca


Stupid league! Very borin
Two man league
I rather watch french n german league

That's why I like BPL
Where westbrom will beat man U @ old traford
And sunderland will beat man city........a league where liverpool will loose to southamton @Anfield

kizmartino: Cnt wait 4d return of d messiless soccer god

Barca i represent!!!

Victory is our birth-right

Just like you had your so called birth-right the last time we met

Afam4eva: There's no El Classico like the Barca-Madrid one. This is the match that football lovers throughout the world always anticipate.

There has always been one El Classico

hammedkola:

Why talking like this?...

cus I don't find it interesting,I love barca but dey are bhavin like nigerians,and bside its just 2man league,no strong competition

kizmartino:

stupid league..bt it cn boast of world classic players nd all time most expensive... They alwayz have representative till in evry UCL semi-final nd mayb finals

Remember spain are current europe nd world best!!



...xo whtz ur point

all leagues can boast of world classic players,and bside french league can boast of havin d world most dangerous strike force,likes of ibrahmovic,pastore,falcao,cavani etc,epl also hv d best defenders same with germans,spain hv nutin to boast of,only players frm R.madrid,A.madrid n barca.........even a coach came out to say its a boring league

Nomski0:
He's gonna get it with or without you guys pleading with Messi.....you just watch this coming season. Madrid is crushing Barcelona.#fact.

#JOKE of the year! Cr7 might not even come 3rd this year! Maybe 4th or 5th