'El Clasico' between Real Madrid and Barcelona is still the best match even without Messi

The first "El Clasico" of the 2019-20 season is drawing near and anticipation is building. All eyes will be at the Camp Nou on October 24 as the Catalan giants face Real Madrid for the first time in the post-Messi era. Despite the Argentine's departure, Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema says that the match between the two bitter rivals is still the "finest game of football."

The "El Clasico" is always a blockbuster event every season, but this year a lot of prominent names are missing from the roster on both sides. Apart from Messi, former Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos has also moved on and joined Paris Saint-Germain alongside the Argentine. Raphael Varane left with Ramos in the summer, while Barcelona also lost Antoine Griezmann.

Looking further back, other prominent names like Luis Suarez and Neymar Jr. have since left Barcelona, while Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is no longer with Real Madrid. Despite this, Benzema feels that the glory of "El Clasico" rests firmly in the names of the two historic clubs.

"For me, it's still the same. It remains the best match that exists in football," Benzema said in an interview with ESPN. "It doesn't matter about the players who are there, who have left or who will join. Real Madrid vs Barcelona is historic."

He said that the players may be superstars, but they come and go and the rivalry will remain as intense as ever. "The names change but before there was [Zinedine] Zidane, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Eto'o. Real Madrid vs Barcelona will always be Real Madrid vs Barcelona," he said.

Going up against the Blaugrana is never to be taken lightly even if Barcelona are currently in a bit of a slump. Real Madrid are sitting at the top of the La Liga table, with Barcelona all the way down in ninth place. Benzema knows that this is no reason to underestimate the Catalan giants.

"There's never a good moment to play [them]. A team like Barcelona or any top team, they can have a poor game and then bounce back again. It's a match that we can't take lightly, even if they haven't played well so far."

The Frenchman will be looking forward to making his mark during the match, which will surely help his case in the quest for this year's Ballon d'Or trophy. He has admitted that winning the prestigious award has been a childhood dream, and this season appears to be offering his best chance at winning.

"The Ballon d'Or represents the best players in the world and [it's great] to be on the list. If you count who's on there, it's very satisfying. It's always been an objective," he said, as quoted by Marca.

However, even with the individual award on his mind, he says that the focus is still playing for the team. "I think about helping the team win, providing a spectacle. The Ballon d'Or comes as a result of that because it's more of an individual focus, but it's all about the collective."