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The most awaited dates in the annual footballing calendar have been announced. Get your plans sorted now itself because with La Blaugrana wanting to exact revenge on a seemingly invincible Madrid these two should live up to the name Clasico.
Real Madrid vs Barcelona in the 2017/18 La Liga season will occur on the following dates:
Santiago Bernabeu: 20th December: Real Madrid vs Barcelona - WHICH IS A WEDNESDAY
Camp Nou: 6th May: Barcelona vs Real Madrid - which is thankfully a Sunday
The last one just happens to be on the 36th of 38 match days in La Liga:
There is though a twist that's waiting to spring oodles of controversy on all of us:
As I understand it if Real Madrid do reach the Club World Cup Final, and there's no reason to believe they wont, then the match will be moved a day - to Thursday, the 21st
Last season, of course, featured one of the greatest Clasico of all-time; a match that had everything - a Sergio Ramos red card, a controversial refereeing decision involving Cristiano Ronaldo, 5 fantastic goals, and some superb Lionel Messi magic as Barcelona stepped up the pressure on Los Blancos. Zinedine Zidane's men, of course, held their nerve to take advantage of the game in hand to coast home to victory in the league.
The first match, meanwhile, was more or less dominated by Barcelona, but Luis Suarez's goal was cancelled out by one of those trademark late flying headers from the inimitable Sergio Ramos.
It remains to be seen, of course, how well Ernesto Valverde does as coach of Barcelona; and the mentality of the Catalans as they approach what is assuredly the most important match on either of the team's calendars
