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Time to clear your schedules–it’s once again time for El Clasico. Real Madrid vs. Barcelona, the rivalry to define all rivalries, writes its newest chapter Sunday when the Spanish sides go to battle at Camp Nou.
In the United States, El Clasico is scheduled to start at 11:15 a.m. ET and will be broadcast on beIN Sports (English broadcast) and beIN Sports Espanol (Spanish broadcast). If you don’t have cable or can’t get to a TV, you can watch a live stream of the game (or DVR it) on your computer, phone or streaming device by signing up for one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services:
How to Watch El Clasico Online Without Cable
Both beIN Sports and beIN Sports Espanol are included in the main Fubo bundle, which has 85 channels and is largely tailored towards sports around the globe. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the FuboTV website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the FuboTV app.
If you can’t watch live, FuboTV comes with 30 hours of Cloud DVR (with the ability to upgrade to 500 hours), as well as a “72-Hour Lookback” feature, which will allow you to watch El Clasico up to three days after it air even if you forgot to record it.
Whether you sign up for the “Sling Orange” or “Sling Blue” base channel package, beIN Sports is included in either the “Sports Extra” or “Best of Spanish TV” add-on, while beIN Sports Espanol is included in the “Best of Spanish TV” add-on. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial of all of that, and you can then watch the game live on your computer via the Sling TV website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Sling TV app.
If you can’t watch live, you can get 50 hours of cloud DVR storage as an additional add-on.
Preview
Following manager Zinedine Zidane’s resignation after the club’s third Champions League title in a row and Cristiano Ronaldo’s summer move to Juventus, it appeared Real Madrid’s transition to life without them would actually be a seamless one. Madrid went 4-1-0 in their first five La Liga fixtures. They outscored opponents 12-2 over that stretch. Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale were doing a fine job filling the void left by Ronaldo, combining for seven goals and two assists.
But things have quickly fallen apart.
Over the last month, Real Madrid have three losses, one draw and zero wins in La Liga play, along with an unconvincing 2-1 home win against Viktoria Plzen in Champions League group play. They have struggled to find a consistent final product, scoring just once in those four La Liga matches. And they’ve dropped to seventh on the table.
It’s still early, but the pressure is quickly mounting on new manager Julen Lopetegui. He’ll still be in charge for Sunday’s match, but a poor performance in El Clasico could certainly be the final straw.
As for Barcelona, they’ve gone through a somewhat similar path to the start of the season, with four straight wins to begin La Liga play followed up by just one win, three draws and a loss in their last five. They’re still atop the league, but they now face the challenge of replacing Lionel Messi, who is after suffering an arm injury last weekend against Sevilla.
“It is clear that it is a sensitive loss,” manager Ernesto Valverde said. “In the end, it is about who he is and we know what he gives us. We all know what the opponent thinks when they play Leo. But we have to know that he will not be available and we have to face it. We will prepare for it but of course we are going to notice the loss of Messi. There have been games that Leo has not played in. He is fundamental and he marks a lot of the team’s game, but we will try to keep our idea and take a step forward.”
Barca managed a 2-0 Champions League victory over Inter without him on Wednesday, but they also haven’t won a Clasico without him since he made his Barcelona debut 14 years ago, so it’s an obvious concern.
Overall, with no Ronaldo and no Messi, this Clasico will definitely have a different feel about it. But this is still arguably the most storied rivalry in the world, and with both sides really needing a win, it will–as always–be chalk full of entertaining drama.