PREVIEW | Real Madrid v FC Barcelona
A Clásico is never an ordinary game, not even in the preseason. The 80,242 capacity MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, home of the Jets and Giants in the NFL, is the venue on Saturday at 7pm local time (1am Sunday morning CEST) as FC Barcelona and Real Madrid go head to head in a 'friendly'. That's 'friendly' in inverted commas because no matter what the occasion, this is a fixture that both sides will desperately want to win. For although the result might not matter as far as official trophies are concerned, the psychological impact of getting one up on your biggest rival is always important.
And Barça have done a fine job of that in recent years. This is the fourth time that the famous fixture has been played in the summer on US soil, all in the last seven years, and to date they have yet to lose. Let's keep the record alive!
Future stars
Because several of the players are still on vacation following the European Championship or Copa America, or are away in Paris on Olympic duty, neither side comes into this game with their full-strength squads. But what it does mean is that we get the chance to see some of the up and coming stars in action. After so many youngsters ended up having an impact on Barça last season, this game poses the perfect opportunity for the likes of Casadó, Bernal and Pau Víctor to show us what they are made of.
No Oriol Romeu
In the opening game of the tour, a 2-2 draw with Manchester City that the Catalans ended up winning on penalties, Hansi Flick used no fewer than 22 different players. We can expect more of the same here, with the German coach keen to have a look at all the different options in his squad.
However, Oriol Romeu will not be involved, for he has been given permission to leave the team camp to work out his future. In contrast, all of Ter Stegen, Raphinha and Gündogan, who didn't play in Orlando having only just reported back for duty, will probably be getting run-outs in this game. Jules Kounde is also back with the squad, but it's probably too soon for him to play. But ultimately, it is down to Flick to decide what's best.
Real Madrid missing players too
The defending Liga and UCL champions are naturally also missing key men. Their big-name signing Kylian Mbappe isn't with them yet, and neither is Jude Bellingham, but players to look out for include Brahim, promising Turkish youngster Arda Güler and new signing Endrick. The Brazilian impressed on his debut against AC Milan the other day, but that didn't save his team from opening their tour with a 1-0 defeat to the same Italian side that Barça will be meeting in their third and final game of their trip to the US.
