With Lionel Messi having inspired the Catalans to the top of the table, today's encounter could prove pivotal in deciding the destiny of the trophy. Real Madrid are in the Nou Campus, already prepared for today's El Clasico and are desperate to reclaim their place at the top of La Liga and secure a first league double over their fierce rivals in almost seven years.
With 11 matches remaining, Barca lead Real by one point at the summit, while reigning champions Atletico Madrid have dropped off the pace in recent weeks.
Real tasted victory in the reverse fixture back in October as goals from Cristiano Ronaldo, Pepe and Karim Benzema helped them to a 3-1 success after Neymar's early opener.
"We know that there's a lot of pressure, but that's normal because it's a huge match," Benzema told Real sponsor bwin's official website. "Every player who loves football wants to play in it.
"We're going to prepare well for the match, all together, to go to Barcelona and win. We're only thinking about working hard to win together, as always. If we defend well we can do it.
Arguably the biggest soccer match in the world comes at a high price. The cheapest ticket for such match is €111 (USD), at the ticket office, but most sales average over €1,000 per ticket. The value of both teams starting XI is close to a billion euros. The demand for tickets has grown by 36% compared to the last edition, yet surprisingly, no matter how expensive the tickets get, it is always a sold-out show.
If you combine both squads, the starting XI on display is worth around €930m, with substitutions it goes over €1 billion.
El Clasico features some of football's most expensive players
People from around 100 countries are expected to tune into the game. Broadcasters are able to reach out to 500 million fans around the globe. Bein Sports en Español viewership reached 1,009,000 at its peak during the most recent edition of this confrontation.
100 cameras are set up around the stadium to give fans every angle of the action
You might not be one of the 98,000 plus spectators at Camp Nou, but you might be part of history. The 230th edition of El Clasico is projected to be the one with the most viewers in the history of this rivalry.
Who do you think will win?
David Beckham predicts Real Madrid will beat Barcelona 2-1 in El Clasico. What's yours?
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