La Liga announces El Clásico date, kickoff time

The exact date and kickoff time of the Week 17 La Liga clash between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona was officially announced Thursday.

Barça will travel to Madrid for the teams’ first match of the league season on December 23rd. Kickoff at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium has been set for 1.00pm CET.

The game will be the fourth between the two teams this season after the Miami Clásico in late July and the two games they played in the Spanish Super Cup in August.

Barça and Real Madrid could potentially face off up to six more times — the two games already guaranteed in La Liga, plus four more possible matchups, two in the Copa del Rey and two in the UEFA Champions League.

The Spanish Liga also announced the dates and times for its Week 16 fixtures, when Barça will host Deportivo La Coruña at Camp Nou on December 17th. Kickoff has been set for 8.45pm CET.

The League has yet to announce the schedules for Weeks 13, 14, and 15, when Barça will face Valencia, Celta, and Villarreal, respectively.

Barça’s Week 12 match at Leganés will take place on November 18th at 4.15pm CET, following the coming international break.