Spain is expected to grind to a halt when the country's two biggest and richest clubs clash at Barca's Nou Camp stadium in the latest instalment of this historic contest.
LIONEL MESSI v CRISTIANO RONALDO
World player of the year Messi, 23, and former holder Ronaldo, 25, are playing some of the best football of their careers. The Argentina forward scored a hat-trick against Almeria last weekend to take his league tally to 13 but Portuguese Ronaldo matched him with a treble against Athletic Bilbao to top the scoring charts on 14.
Both players have the freedom to roam off the flanks and are often most dangerous driving down the centre, dribbling past opponents and playing one-twos. Their styles are very different. Messi plays with schoolboy enthusiasm, making darting runs and exchanging quick passes with team mates. Ronaldo is more of a showman, making muscular charges down the pitch, and his powerful, swerving freekicks are a threat from any range.
THE HISTORY
The rivalry between the two clubs is steeped in politics, with the two clubs representing distinct regions and two distinct schools of thought. Barcelona is Catalan, Madrid is Castilian. Catalans favour independence, while Madrid is seen as the seat of the establishment and the royal family. When Barca are victorious it is seen as a rebellious victory for an independent regional culture while a win for Madrid represents the establishment re-asserting its authority.
On a sporting level, Real Madrid and Barcelona are the most successful teams in Spain. This means the results are not only useful for bragging rights but are often key to where the trophies end up at the end of the season. This latest clash is no exception.
GREATEST EVER PLAYERS
The sides' rich histories have meant that the El Clasico has featured some of the greatest players of all time. Johan Cruyff, Zinedine Zidane, Alfredo di Stefano, Ronaldo, Messi and Luis Figo are just some of the greats to put their skills to the test in this rivalry.
CLASSIC MATCH: 2007 - Barcelona 3-3 Real Madrid
Lionel Messi was the toast of Barcelona when he completed a hat-trick in injury time to salvage a 3-3 draw for 10-man Barca. Real looked set to win until the 19-year-old Messi latched on to a pass by Ronaldinho, beat two defenders and thrashed a left-foot shot across Iker Casillas into the corner of the net to cap a sensational performance.
THE STADIUMS
Both the Nou Camp and the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium are massive, and this only helps when creating one of the most incredible atmospheres in football. The Bernabéu can take 80,000 people, while the venue for Monday's match - The Nou Camp - is the biggest stadium in Europe with a 98,772 capacity. It should be electric ...
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