IT'S never a friendly whenever Barcelona and Real Madrid collide and fans in New York will be hoping some sparks fly when this pre-season Clasico gets underway at the MetLife Stadium.
This is the fourth time Spain's two biggest clubs have played an exhibition match on American soil since 2017 and Barcelona have won every clash so far. In fact, the Catalan club have a remarkable record in friendlies against their biggest rivals, losing just four of the 34 meetings and winning 21 of them.
But it's Real Madrid who head into the new campaign looking in better shape after an incredible campaign that saw them win both La Liga and the Champions League.
Carlo Ancelotti's men only lost two games in all competitions, both to city rivals Atletico, and have boosted an already impressive squad with the signings of Kylian Mbappe and Brazilian wonderkid Endrick.
That makes them the team to beat both in Spain and Europe in the coming campaign while Barcelona are in transition once more, with Xavi leaving and handing the reins to former Bayern Munich boss Hansi Flick.
The German has some talented players to work with, including Euro 2024 standout Lamine Yamal, and it will be interesting to see how his Barcelona side are shaping up when they take on the European champions.
How the bookies view it: Kings of Europe get the nod
With Real Madrid having a more settled side than Barcelona it's no surprise to see them as 5/4 favourites at Bet365. The Catalan giants are 8/5 and the draw pays 13/5.
Recent head to head: Bernabeu giants on a Clasico roll
Real Madrid dominated El Clasico last season, winning all three clashes against Barcelona. That included a 4-1 battering in the Spanish Super Cup, with Vinicius Junior scoring a hat-trick. But, as we mentioned above, it's Barcelona who have dominated in friendly fixtures with their bitter rivals.
Players to watch: Will Endrick live up to the hype?
With Mbappe rested and missing out on the US tour, all eyes will be on Real Madrid's other big capture. Brazilian kid Endrick showed he can handle the big occasion by scoring against England at Wembley and will be out to make a splash on his Clasico debut. He's 15/8 for anytime scorer which looks a bit overpriced.
Barcelona are also without some of their biggest stars with the players who helped Spain win Euro 2024 given extra time off. But Robert Lewandowski has travelled to the States and the veteran Pole will be out to prove he's still a major force at the age of 35. He is 5/4 for anytime scorer which looks good if he's handed a start.
Probable line-ups
Neither team will be anywhere near their strongest with so many stars not travelling to the USA. But there should still be some famous names in the line-ups to add a bit of glamour for American fans.
Barcelona: Ter Stege, I Martinez, Christensen, Araujo, Lenglet, Gundogan, Torre, Romeu, Pau Victor, Raphinha, Lewandowksi.
Real Madrid: Courtois, Vazquez, Asencio, Vallejo, Rudiger, Garcia, Modric, Ceballos, Guler, Diaz, Endrick.
Anything else catch the eye?
Last season's Clasicos were great for the neutrals with goals galore in all three meetings. BTTS and over 2.5 goals landed in every match and the last five meetings have produced 20 strikes in total. That makes BTTS and over 2.5 strikes likely here, although the odds are poor at 4/11 and 2/5 respectively.
With both teams looking weak in defence, it could pay to go up to over 3.5 goals, which pays evens at Betfred.
It might take time for these teams to click into gear with so many key players missing so backing most goals to come after the break is also a good idea at evens too.
Even though this is a friendly, there could be some tasty challenges. If the bookies price up a card market it might pay off to back a few yellows.
This European match between Barcelona and Real Madrid will be played on Aug 4, 2024 and kick off at 00:00. Check below for our tipsters best Barcelona vs Real Madrid prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
