Real Madrid winger Vinicius Jr issued a public apology on Wednesday after his angry reaction to being substituted during Sunday's heated 2-1 El Clasico victory over Barcelona had him storm straight to the changing rooms.
Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso declined to comment on Saturday after Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal suggested the capital club "cheat" and "complain" in a televised interview on Friday.
The battle between Real Madrid and Barcelona is more than just football--it's a collision of legacies, philosophies, and the relentless pursuit of greatness.
Goals from Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham earned Real Madrid a 2-1 victory over Barcelona in a spiky El Clasico on Sunday that snapped a four-match losing streak against their rivals and extended their lead atop the LaLiga standings.
"Playing with Barcelona is special. It will be the last 'El Clasico' of the season because Barca are not in the Club World Cup."
Following is a factbox detailing key numbers around Spain's El Clasico between Real Madrid and Barcelona. The arch rivals meet at Barca's Nou Camp stadium in La Liga on Saturday in a match that could decide the destination of the title. Real have a four-point lead with five games left.
Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski has suffered a torn thigh muscle, the club said on Tuesday, with the Poland captain facing a spell on the sidelines that could rule him out of next week's LaLiga clash against Real Madrid.
The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and LaLiga have taken steps to tackle an increase in racist abuse with measures including partial stadium closures.
The Italian said he would avoid big changes to his team this time, after he tested midfielder Luka Modric up front in place of then-injured striker Karim Benzema in the last El Clasico in March, only to get hammered 4-0 by the Catalans.
Barcelona has decided to leave Neymar out of the decisive El Clasico against Real Madrid because of the legal uncertainty over an appeal to overturn his suspension
As the second half got underway, masked demonstrators broke down an exterior fence in a failed attempt to gain entry to the stadium.
Following is a selection of Spanish words and phrases which help explain the intense rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona played out in the El Clasicos
The Primera Liga title will be decided by "El Clasico" between leaders Barcelona and second-placed Real Madrid at the Bernabeu in just under two weeks, according to Real midfielder Lassana Diarra.
The 168th La Liga 'El Clasico' between in-form Real Madrid and an erratic Barcelona could see the table-toppers take a big step towards winning the title and sound the death knell for the champions bid for a fifth triumph in six years.
On the eve of the big game, the Malian footballer tell Rediff.com's Norma Godinho why Real Madrid are favourites and what is plaguing Barcelona this season.
The numbers behind Sunday's 'El Clasico' between Real Madrid and Barcelona at the Bernabeu stadium.
Lionel Messi became the all-time top scorer in 'Clasicos' with 21 goals, surpassing Real great Alfredo Di Stefano who scored 18.
As well as a potential title decider, Saturday's El Clasico between bitter rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona serves up the latest installment in the goal-scoring drama featuring record-setting marksmen Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Five head-to-head battles to watch out for in Saturday's potentially decisive 'Clasico' at the Bernabeu, when La Liga leaders Real Madrid host title rivals and defending champions Barcelona.
Barca's capped a dominant La Liga campaign with a 2-0 win over Real Madrid to claim their 29th La Liga crown at the Camp Nou in Barcelona on Sunday.
A selection of Spanish words and phrases which help explain the intense rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona played out in the El Clasico.
When Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his wife Sakshi support opposing teams in the 'El Clasico', between La Liga giants Barcelona and Real Madrid, this is what pans out on their Twitter timelines...
IMAGES from the El Clasico match played at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid on Sunday.
Another win would confirm that Barca are heading in the right direction after pushing the reset button following the loss of Lionel Messi in the close season due to their financial problems.
Lionel Messi congratulated FC Barcelona after their 29th La Liga title win over Real Madrid, recalling his legendary trophy-laden legacy with the Catalan giants.
Barcelona beat Atletico to set up cup final against Real Madrid
The match marks just the second time, and first in 35 years, that El Clasico will be played outside Spain.
Crashing out at the group stage again would be a huge blow to Barcelona's finances, whose perilous state led the club's board to sell a stake in their TV rights and agree to the sale of their audio-visual division.
The Spanish government's top sports official has sent out a message of calm and said there is no reason for Saturday's La Liga 'El Clasico' between Real Madrid and Barcelona to be postponed following Friday's attacks in Paris.
Tensions have flared in the region of Barcelona due to the controversial court decision jailing several leaders of the Catalan independence movement for their role in organising a referendum on the subject in 2017.
Spanish soccer's 'El Clasico' encounters between Barcelona and Real Madrid will happen in December and April, two of the most anticipated games of the 2016-17 Primera Division season whose fixtures were announced on Friday. Defending champions Barca host Real on Dec. 4 at the Camp Nou. The reverse fixture will take place on April 23, at the Bernabeu stadium, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) confirmed after the draw. As the La Liga season kicks off, Barca will begin their title defence at home to Real Betis on Aug. 21.
'We are on anti-terrorist alert four (with five a very high risk) and there will be extensive security so as to guarantee that the match takes place with complete normality'
In an eventful match with plenty of needle, Vinicius was fired up, snapping into tackles and encouraging the crowd to make more noise
Real Madrid's Sergio Ramos scored in the 90th minute to hold FC Barcelona to a 1-1 draw at the Camp Nou on Saturday.
LaLiga leaders Real Madrid's pursuit of a record-extending 36th Spanish title
Real Madrid appointed Jose Mourinho as their new manager on a three-year contract on Thursday, turning back to the Portuguese tactician who once delivered them a record-breaking LaLiga triumph but has not won a league title since leaving the Spanish capital.
Real are unbeaten since February, winning 10 of their last 12 games. In contrast, Barcelona have won just two of their previous five in all competitions and were dumped out of Europe in midweek.
Lionel Messi requires two more goals to reach 500 for Barcelona and will have his sights set on achieving the milestone against great rivals Real Madrid in Sunday's Clasico.
Vinicius Jr.'s goal secured a 1-0 victory for Real Madrid against Sevilla, while Kylian Mbappe returned to the starting lineup after a controversial omission. Barcelona also secured a win against Real Betis.
That was also Messi's 500th goal for Barcelona.
