Having been rescheduled for the unusual time of 4 p.m. on Saturday, the second league meeting of the season between Real Madrid and Barcelona will be the first 'Clásico' to be suitable for TV audiences almost all over the world. Fine, there will be no Champions League anthem, no Spanish Super Cup trophy or cup final place up for grabs, and the result won't affect the league title race, but it is still a 'Clásico'.
There are plenty of reasons to head down to the Bernabéu or switch on the TV on Saturday afternoon. On the evidence of the midweek cup clash, the 16-point league gap between the teams is something of a red herring. What's more, Barça is licking its wounds after being swatted aside on its own patch and will be raring to return the favour.
This will be only the third full house at the Santiago Bernabéu this season, coming after the first leg of the 'Copa' semi-final and the Champions League first leg against Manchester United. The Real Madrid fans are flying after the win at the Camp Nou, meaning any spare tickets have been snapped up like hotcakes.
The early-afternoon slot will allow the match to be viewed across the world, including at prime time in Asia. Fans in Beijing will be able to tune in at 11 p.m., rather than at 4 a.m., as they would have had to do for Tuesday's cup clash.
It will also be eminently watchable across the Atlantic, kicking off at midday Buenos Aires and Sao Paulo time and at 10 a.m. in New York (where Tito Vilanova will be watching). In the UAE, another important market, the clash will get underway at 6 p.m.
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