Neymar & Dani Alves
Neymar's participation in Barcelona's showdown with Real Madrid remains in doubt Reuters

Real Madrid can take a giant stride towards their first La Liga title in five years by beating arch-rivals Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu on 23 April.

Where to watch live

Kick-off is set for 7.45pm BST. The game will be broadcast live on Sky Sports 1 HD.

Overview

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick as Real Madrid beat Bayern Munich 4-2 on 18 April to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League for the seventh successive season. A win over Barcelona would give the capital club – who have a game in hand over their arch-rivals – a six-point advantage at the top of the La Liga table.

Gareth Bale has recovered from a calf strain and is available to play against Barcelona. Defenders Pepe (ribs) and Raphael Varane (hamstring) remain sidelined through injury.

Barcelona were held to a goalless draw by Juventus at Camp Nou in midweek as they lost the Champions League quarter-final tie 3-0 on aggregate. Luis Enrique's side have only won two of their last five matches in all competitions.

Barcelona have appealed against the three-game suspension handed to Neymar for his sending off against Malaga and his participation in the game remains in doubt. Defender Jeremy Mathieu remains sidelined through injury.

What managers say

Zinedine Zidane: "Maybe outsiders might think one team is favourite more than others, but not us. We know we are playing a great team, who in any moment can put you in difficulty. Small details from one team or the other will make the difference. But we [also] know that if we start strong, with intensity and rhythm, we can cause trouble for any opponent." [via ESPN]

Luis Enrique: "It's special because of the moment of the season and also because it's a game against out great rival, who are top of the table. The aim is to stay loyal to our style – it would be ridiculous not to. Any result but a win would do us no good whatsoever. It's a Clasico which could decide the league, but it could also open it up again. It's like a final for us and we have to go out and look for the win. After the result, we'll see what it means." [via ESPN]

Form guide

  • Real Madrid (all competitions): WWWDW
  • Last result: Real Madrid 4-2 Bayern Munich (Champions League)
  • Barcelona (all competitions): DWLLW
  • Last result: Barcelona 0-0 Juventus (Champions League)

Betting odds (Betfair)

  • Real Madrid win: 6/5
  • Draw: 29/10
  • Barcelona win: 21/10

Team news

Real Madrid possible XI: Navas; Carvajal, Nacho, Ramos, Marcelo; Kroos, Casemiro, Modric; Bale, Benzema, Ronaldo

Barcelona possible XI: Ter Stegen; Roberto, Pique, Umtiti, Alba; Rakitic, Busquets, Iniesta; Messi, Alcacer, L Suarez

Real Madrid Barcelona