Barcelona vs Real Madrid: Predicted clasico teams with Lionel Messi a late fitness doubt
Barcelona will make a late fitness call on Lionel Messi ahead of tonight's clásico at the Nou Camp.
The Argentine trained on Tuesday as he looked to recover from a thigh problem picked up against Valencia at the weekend, and the hope is that he is ready to face Real Madrid in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final.
Ousmane Dembele certainly won't be playing, with the French winger struggling to deal with an ankle problem and not included in the squad.
Carles Alena and Malcom, two young players of differing skill sets, are competing for Messi's spot if the five-time Ballon d'Or winner does not recover in time.
Otherwise Barca will be much as expected with Marc-Andre Ter Stegen the only senior goalkeeper fit. Sergi Roberto and Jordi Alba will start at full-back with Gerard Pique playing his 33rd clásico alongside newcomer Clement Lenglet.
Ernesto Valverde is waiting anxiously on the fitness of Lionel Messi after the Argentine suffered a thigh strain in the Catalans' 2-2 draw with Valencia on the weekend.
It is true that sometimes we have had doubts with players and we have waited until the last moment. It is the same with Messi.
Solari has chosen to play 24-year-old Marcos Llorente ahead of Casemiro for the fixture.
The belief behind the decision was supposedly that the tireless runner would be able to man-mark Lionel Messi but with the Argentine left out that could well be a gamble the Madrid boss is now regretting.
Barcelona remain the favourites tonight, even without their talisman. They've won the last four clasicos and still have Luis Suarez leading the line. The Uruguayan has scored 16 goals and added eight assists in 29 games so far this season.
Madrid are finishing off their warm-up. The last time they stepped on the Camp Nou pitch they were felled 5-1, which proved the final straw of Julen Lopetegui's reign.
It's a huge night for 18-year-old wonderkid Vinicius Jr who makes his El Clasico debut tonight. The Brazilian teenager has started the last five La Liga games for Real and cemented himself as an integral figure during the club's recent resurgence.
Perhaps the player with the biggest opportunity tonight is Malcom. The Brazilian, once targeted by both Arsenal and Tottenham, ditched a move to Roma at the last minute to join Barcelona but has endured a tumultuous start to his career at Camp Nou.
The 21-year-old has only started five games in all competitions this season, but has a rare look in thanks to Lionel Messi's injury tonight.
2': It's a positive start for Real Madrid as Luca Modric looks to cast his influence and unpick Barca's defence early on. Vinicius is attempting to run in behind Carvajal but is caught offside.
4': Toni Kroos takes a long-range shot which Ter Stergen can only palm away. Busquets picks up the loose ball and sets up Luis Suarez who has Malcom pleading for the pass to his left, but Suarez stutters and is dispossessed.
And from that wasteful play by Suarez, Madrid find the opening! The Galacticos immediately look to 18-year-old Vinicius who has peeled into space behind Semedo. The Brazilian collects the ball, pauses before picking out Benzema who has made a run at the far post. The in-form Frenchman cuts it back to Lucas Vazquez who toe-pokes home from six yards.
9': The goal seems to finally wake Barca who haven't got a foothold in the game so far. Coutinho weaves on the edge of the box, again looking to target Carvajal, jinks down the line and looks to play a one-two with Arthur but its cut out.
Moments later and Nelson Semedo wriggles into space on the opposite flank before being cleaned out by Sergio Ramos. An early yellow card for the Madrid captain who vents his anger at the decision.
13': Toni Kroos is fuming with Vinicius! The pair have a clean run through at Pique who has no support. The 18-year-old only needed to lay if off to his left and Kroos would have had a clear shot on goal, but instead Vinicius opts to shot. The game is already wide open.
17': Coutinho plays a sloppy pass and it's picked up by Karim Benzema. The Frenchman runs towards goal before passing to Vinicius who's poised on the edge of the box. The teenager turns Pique with ease but miscues his shot. It does take a bobble off Pique's flailing leg though and that'll be a corner. Madrid are continuing to find success on the counter.
Sergio Busquets, Arthur and Ivan Rakitic form a formidable midfield trio while the front three is expected to feature the out-of-sorts Philippe Coutinho, Luis Suarez and - hopefully - Messi.
Real Madrid will be hoping not, of course, with youngster Sergio Reguilon pencilled in to play at left-back.
Marcelo has lost favour with new boss Santiago Solari and has found himself out of the team in recent weeks, with Dani Carvajal, Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane set to start in the other defensive positions. Casemiro, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric continue to be Madrid's first-choice midfield triangle while the front three has the most unknowns.
Karim Benzema should start centrally, with the Frenchman enjoying a productive season after Cristiano Ronaldo's departure, but he could be flanked by any number of options. Most likely is Lucas Vazquez, the homegrown winger who offers a lot defensively, while Vinicius Junior and Gareth Bale might be fighting for just one spot on the other wing.
