Madrid threaten in attack for the first time since the break. Receiving the ball close to the left-hand byline, Benzema lays it back to the top of the box for Kroos to strike, but the German sidefoots it well over the bar.
Barcelona begin the half on the attack, Raphinha taking on Mendy and fizzing a low ball into the area, where Tchouaméni plays it back to Lunin to clear.
A moment later, Modric dwells on the ball in the Madrid half and loses it, allowing De Jong to look for Lewandowski's run into the area. The Dutchman's pass is just too long, though, and it runs through to Lunin.
Peeeep! We're back up and running at the Bernabéu. No changes for either team.
Liverpool - Manchester City live online: score, stats and updates, Premier League 2022-23
Just to let you know that we also have live-text coverage of Liverpool and Manchester City's heavyweight Premier League clash today. You can join my colleague Paul Rudder for that one, which kicks off at 4:30pm BST/11:30am ET.
History is now against Barça...
Mister Chip notes that it's 63 years since Barcelona last managed to draw or win a Clásico after being two or more goals down at half time. The Catalans haven't managed to do so since a Copa del Rey semi-final in 1959, when they overturned a 2-0 deficit to win 4-2.
Benzema (right) celebrates scoring Real Madrid's opening goal.
(Photo by David S. Bustamante/Soccrates/Getty Images)
Peeep peeep peeep! That's half time. Barcelona have had most of the ball, but Real Madrid have scored all the goals. 2-0 flatters the hosts, who after starting stronger ended up on the back foot for a decent chunk of that half, but as things stand they're heading back to the top of the league. Valverde's goal was a beaut, it must be said; both the build-up play and the finish.
Barça enjoy yet another prolonged spell of possession, finally working it through to Lewandowski on the right-hand byline. He wins a corner, which is delivered to Pedri on the edge of the box. The Spaniard attempts to volley the ball back into the area, but it's blocked.
One minute of time added on at the Bernabéu.
There's another chance for Lewandowski, but he can't get enough on it. Balde whips a left-wing cross into the area, where Busquets heads it back across goal towards the Pole. He's got two men on him, though, and they do enough to put him off. He ends up nodding it a yard or so wide.
Earliest Real Clásico goal at Bernabéu since 2013
According to stats specialists Opta, Benzema's opener for Real Madrid was the earliest for Los Blancos in a league Clásico at the Bernabéu in nearly a decade - since March 2013.
Barça immediately create a chance to reduce the deficit, when De Jong bursts into the Real Madrid box and shoots. Lunin does well to make himself big and block. It's been a really watchable first half.
It's very harsh on Barcelona, but Real Madrid are two to the good. Carvajal's ball forward somehow finds its way through to Vinícius, who sets off towards the Barça box. He slips it left to Tchouaméni, who in turn plays it further left to Mendy. Arriving at pace, the left-back shapes to cross, before instead laying it back off to Valverde at the top of the box.
The Uruguayan has acres of space to control and shoot, and his low finish gives Ter Stegen no chance. Right into the corner. It's a marvellous goal.
Again Barcelona pin Real Madrid back, working it from side to side to the sound of deafening whistles from the Real Madrid supporters. The visitors work it out right to Raphinha, who heads to the byline and tries to cross, but is well challenged by Kroos. The German not only blocks, but manages to divert the ball off Raphinha on its way out, and Madrid have a goal-kick.
Vinícius is the first man to go into José María Sánchez Martínez's book, after giving the referee a little bit too much lip. The forward felt he had been fouled; Sánchez Martínez deemed otherwise.
Blimey, Lunin dwells on the ball and is almost robbed of it in his own area by Lewandowski. He clears just in time. Madrid don't look half as confident now as they did 10 minutes ago.
Lewandowski is down and in some pain after colliding with Alaba on the edge of the box. He's clutching his face, but is up fairly quickly and looks like he'll be OK.
This is much better from Barcelona. Roberto is released in behind Mendy, and makes a beeline for the byline. With Lewandowski waiting in the middle, Roberto crosses towards the penalty spot - but Lunin is there to intercept! Lewandowski puts his hands to his head. It's now Barça who are in the ascendancy.
What a chance for Lewandowski! He should equalise. Again Barça keep it in the Madrid half for a good while, but this time they do manage to attack with some penetration. Pedri works it out to Raphinha, who crosses low across the face of goal - but Lewandowski turns the ball over at the back post! He was five yards out. (Though the replay suggests he may have been offside.)
Dembélé crosses long from the left, but Roberto rescues the ball before it goes out and Barcelona go again. Busquets plays it back out to Roberto to cross from the right, but his low ball is easily dealt with.
Valverde is penalised for a high challenge on Busquets. He clearly catches the Barcelona captain, who - as his wont - makes as much of it as he can. Valverde escapes a booking, however.
To loud whistles from the home fans, Barcelona pop it about inside the Madrid half for a good minute or so. There's no penetration to their build-up play, though, and there's a huge cheer from the Bernabéu crowd when the visitors are forced to turn back into their own half.
Madrid on top thus far.
Koundé plays a forward ball in Raphinha's direction, but it's wayward. Between them, Mendy and Kroos bring it clear. As he dealt with the danger, Mendy turned away from Raphinha with a very neat change of direction.
Madrid now look very confident indeed.
Ter Stegen run at an end
That Benzema goal, by the way, ends Marc-André ter Stegen's long run without conceding in LaLiga. According to football stats guru Mister Chip, the clock is stopped at 653 minutes - the fifth longest run in league history.
Madrid go in search of an immediate second. Valverde is first to the ball on the right, drawing huge cheers from the home supporters, before playing it inside to Benzema. He tries to release Valverde in behind Balde with a backheel, but doesn't get enough purchase on it, and Barcelona clear.
Benzema's barren patch in front of goal ends at five games, and Real Madrid lead. Kroos does tremendously to hold off his man and slip a ball through to Vinícius, who's suddenly scuttling in behind the Barcelona backline.
The Brazilian's first touch is a little long, allowing Ter Stegen to come out and parry - but the loose ball runs straight to Benzema at the top of the box. There's a delegation of Barça players on the line to try and block the Frenchman's finish, but he threads it between them and into the net!
Madrid going back top as it stands.
Madrid get Vinícius running at the Barcelona defence once more. Benzema plays it to the Brazilian, who carries the ball into the box from the left... but he dallies somewhat, and is crowded out by three Barcelona defenders. Madrid recycle it out to Carvajal on the right wing, where the full-back volleys a first-time cross into the middle - but the flag is up. Carvajal was offside.
There's Real Madrid's first sight of goal, and again it's Mendy and Vinícius who combine. The latter plays the former into space on the left wing, before collecting the Frenchman's return ball just inside the box. Vinícius fires in a shot towards Ter Stegen's far post, but there's a crowd of Barça players in the path of the strike, and it's deflected away from goal.
Back come Barcelona. Lewandowski spins just inside the Madrid half and releases Dembélé, who takes on Carvajal. The Frenchman lays it off at the top of the box for Lewandowski to strike, but it's blocked - ah, and the flag is up. Dembélé was offisde when found by the Pole's initial pass.
Barcelona put together their first attack of substance. The visitors work it to Pedri, who carries the ball deep into the Real Madrid half before slipping it right to Raphinha. The Brazilian scored against Madrid from a similar area in July's friendly in the US, and he doesn't need a second invitation to cut inside and let fly. His shot is too close to Lunin, however, and it's a pretty easy take for the goalkeeper.
Real Madrid get the volume rising in the Bernabéu for the first time this afternoon, as Mendy brings it forward down the left and feeds Vinícius. He heads towards the byline, with Koundé coming out to meet him. Vinícius tries to beat the Frenchman with a piece of skill, but is very far from pulling it off. The defender shepherds the ball behind for a goal-kick.
Peeeeep! Señor Sánchez Martínez gets us underway at the Bernabéu.
Teams out at the Bernabéu!
The two teams make their way onto the field. We're a handshake and a coin toss from the first Clásico of the season.
The club anthem "Hala Madrid" blares out at the Bernabéu.
Karim Benzema during the warm-up at the Bernabéu.
Why does Karim Benzema wear a bandage on his hand?
Incidentally, should you be wondering why Karim Benzema always wears a bandage covering his right hand and wrist, my AS colleague Manu de Juan has the story behind the accessory.
The warm-ups are now complete, and the players have made their way back into the dressing rooms for their final preparations.
We have around a quarter of an hour to go until kick-off in the Spanish capital.
Both teams are out on the Bernabéu pitch and deep into their warm-ups.
ICYMI: Real Madrid and Barcelona starting line-ups
A reminder, in case you haven't seen them, of the two starting XIs at the Bernabéu:
Lunin, Carvajal, Militão, Alaba, Mendy, Tchouaméni, Modric, Kroos, Valverde, Benzema, Vinícius.
Ter Stegen, Roberto, Koundé, García, Balde, Pedri, Busquets, De Jong, Dembélé, Lewandowski, Raphinha.
El Clásico: how Benzema and Lewandowski compare
Benzema has been in magnificent form for a few years now, of that three can be no doubt. However, the Frenchman is currently on a mini-goal drought: he hasn't scored in his five games for Madrid, stretching back to his double against Espanyol in late August.
That said, he still has a more than respectable four goals in nine in all competitions this term - including three in five in LaLiga.
Leading the line for Barcelona, meanwhile, is a red-hot Robert Lewandowski. Since joining the club in the summer, the Pole has plundered 14 goals in his first 12 games for the Blaugrana.
My colleague Calum Roche put together a comparison piece on Real Madrid and Barcelona's two star strikers.
Karim to get the d'Or?
Just a reminder that tomorrow it's the 2022 Ballon d'Or gala in Paris - where Real Madrid's Karim Benzema is widely expected to win the men's Ballon d'Or for the first time.
Ahead of the ceremony at the Theatre du Chatelet, my colleague Jennifer Bubel has prepared a video report on just why the Frenchman deserves to scoop the accolade.
(Photo by GABRIEL BOUYS / AFP)
Real Madrid fans inside the Estadio Bernabéu ahead of the Clásico.
Teams have checked in at the Bernabéu
The Real Madrid and Barcelona squads have both arrived at the Bernabéu and, as we speak, are just starting to emerge for their warm-ups. Barça boss Xavi has already been out to cast his discerning eye over the state of the pitch.
Real Madrid vs Barcelona: date, how to watch Clásico online and on TV
If you're looking to tune in to today's Clásico on TV or online but aren't sure where it's on, may I suggest you take a look at our guide on how and where to watch.
What the coaches said: Carlo Ancelotti, Real Madrid
Courtois out of Clásico:
“He hasn't trained very much over the past couple of weeks and he's not comfortable. He won’t play tomorrow. He will train more regularly next week. We'll see if he's ready to return on Wednesday or next Saturday.”
Rüdiger fit despite head injury suffered in Warsaw:
“He's fine. He only needs to wear the mask to make sure that the wound doesn't reopen. He's excited. He's a warrior.”
Benzema's five-game goal drought either side of injury layoff:
“He's looked much better this week, he's improved a lot. I am convinced that we will see the Karim we all know and love.”
Barcelona’s style of football:
“Barça's history tells us everything we need to know. They continue with a style which pleases the fans and the club. That doesn’t mean to say I think it's the wrong model to follow. It's their idea about football, it's brought them success and continues to do so. Other teams think differently. What I think personally, for me, is that having just one style isn't ideal.”
(Photo: JESUS ALVAREZ ORIHUELA/DIARIO AS)
What the coaches said: Xavi Hernández, Barcelona
Jules Koundé fit for Clásico:
"He’s fine. He’s at 100%. He feels very good physically. He’s trained very well. So he’s available."
Does the Clásico 'turn you on'?
“I don’t know if it’d be true to say it turns me on [laughs]. But I really like playing Madrid, I’m very competitive. I’d like to still be a player to be out there on the pitch for these types of games. This is where you have to stand up and be counted; as a coach, too. Everyone watches the Clásico and everyone’s up for it.”
Stopping Vinícius Júnior:
it’s not just Vinícius that we have to stop. It’s also Benzeama, Rodrygo, Valverde… They’re a competitive team who get the best out of their players. It’s a huge game. It’s not about how we stop Vinícius; it’s about how we stop Madrid.”
Morale boost if Barça win Clásico:
“The impact on morale if we come out of a game like this with a good result would be significant. But it’s still early [in the project]. We’re still building. The European result [against Inter] is sad and we’re annoyed about it. But we need to keep going. We’re doing much in better in the league than last year.”
Form book out of the window:
"Of the games we play, it's the one where the previous game is least important. You forget about what happened in the last game: I’ve experienced that as a player."
(Photo: Rodolfo Molina/Diario AS)
Barça bid to bounce back from UCL disappointment
Barcelona may go into today's Clásico as unbeaten league leaders, but in the Champions League their results have been rather less impressive. Indeed, they're facing a second straight group-stage exit from Europe's top club competition. The Catalans' entertaining draw with Inter Milan on Wednesday left the Italians all but through to the last 16 at Barça's expense.
Given how far the club pushed the boat out in this summer's huge spending spree - aided, of course, by a series of economic 'levers' - the financial impact of Champions League elimination is one they can ill afford.
For defending champions Madrid, on the other hand, there was much better Champions League news in midweek. Antonio Rüdiger's last-gasp equaliser against Shakhtar Donetsk snatched a draw that confirmed Los Blancos' qualification for the knockout stages.
Koundé one of three changes for Barcelona
Xavi makes three changes to the Barcelona team that started the 3-3 Champions League draw with Inter Milan on Wednesday, headlined by the return of Jules Koundé to the Catalans’ XI.
Alejandro Balde and Frenkie de Jong also come into the line-up, with Marcos Alonso, Gerard Piqué and Gavi dropping to the bench.
There had been talk of Balde being used as a right-back to counteract Vinícius’ pace. In the end, though, it looks very much like the 18-year-old is to slot into his regular position at left-back, with Sergi Roberto on the right, and Koundé partnering Eric García in the middle.
(Photo by Pau BARRENA / AFP)
We now have team news from Barcelona. Xavi has gone with the following XI: Ter Stegen, Roberto, Koundé, García, Balde, Pedri, Busquets, De Jong, Dembélé, Lewandowski and Raphinha.
Real Madrid vs Barcelona: Who is Sánchez Martínez, the referee for El Clásico?
We're still waiting for news of Barcelona's line-up at the Bernabéu.
In the meantime, let me point you towards another piece of pre-match reading: my colleague Calum Roche has put together a profile of referee José María Sánchez Martínez, who will be overseeing his sixth Clásico today.
Courtois: "Let’s go out and win this game!"
By the way, Courtois took to Twitter about an hour ago with a message for his Real Madrid colleagues.
“My injury has prevented me from enjoying this Clásico, but it certainly won’t stop me from getting right behind my team-mates," the goalkeeper posted. "Let’s go out and win this game! #HalaMadrid”
Five changes for Real Madrid
Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti makes five changes to the team that began the midweek Champions League draw with Shakhtar Donetsk.
Dani Carvajal, Éder Militão, David Alaba, Luka Modric and Vinícius Júnior all return to the line-up, with Lucas Vázquez, Antonio Rüdiger, Nacho Fernández, Eden Hazard and Rodrygo Goes making way.
In Thibaut Courtois’ absence, Ukrainian Andriy Lunin starts in goal for Madrid for the fourth game in a row.
Madrid’s only other injury absentee is midfielder Dani Ceballos.
(Photo: Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
Real Madrid's team is in! It is: Lunin, Carvajal, Militão, Alaba, Mendy, Tchouaméni, Modric, Kroos, Valverde, Benzema and Vinícius.
The last time the sides met at the Bernabéu...
The most recent Clásico at the Bernabéu - and the most recent Clásico full stop, unless you count July's friendly in Las Vegas - was a truly memorable one. In March, just four months into Xavi's tenure as Barcelona head coach, the Catalans produced a swashbuckling display to thump a Karim Benzema-less Real Madrid.
In Benzema's absence, Ancelotti experimented with Luka Modric as a false nine - and it did not go well. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored two for Barça, either side of goals by Ronald Araújo and Ferran Torres, as the Blaugrana won 4-0.
The victory for Barça ended a run of five Clásico wins in a row for Madrid.
(Photo: JESUS ALVAREZ ORIHUELA/DIARIO AS)
How many editions of El Clásico have there been?
The mathematicians among you will have worked out in my previous post that 100+97+52=249... So today's Clásico is the 250th competitive meeting between Real Madrid and Barcelona.
On top of that, it's the 100th time the teams have faced off in an official match at the Bernabéu.
Football-numbers guru Mister Chip has the full lowdown on the statistical history of the Clásico
At a glance: Real Madrid and Barcelona's LaLiga records this term
Courtesy of our friends at SofaScore, here is an at-a-glance comparison of Real Madrid and Barcelona's LaLiga records so far this season.
As you'll also see from the graphic, Madrid head into today's clash with a slight advantage in the all-time head-to-head stakes: Los Merengues have 100 Clásico wins to Barcelona's 97, while 52 have been drawn.
How things stand at the top of LaLiga
Barcelona head to the Bernabéu as LaLiga leaders, edging Real Madrid out at the top on goal difference. The Blaugrana took over in first place two weeks ago, their victory over Real Mallorca taking them to the summit for the first time in 836 days - since mid-2020.
Madrid could have reclaimed top spot the day after Barça's win over Mallorca; however, Carlo Ancelotti's men relinquished their grip on the leadership when they dropped their first points of the league campaign, in a 1-1 home draw with Osasuna.
Having leapfrogged Madrid, Barça stayed top last weekend when they beat Celta Vigo 1-0. Los Blancos, meanwhile, kept pace with their arch rivals by defeating Getafe 1-0.
Real Madrid vs Barcelona: LaLiga El Clásico match preview, team news
Kick-off at the Bernabéu is at 4:15pm CEST/10:15am ET - in about two and a half hours' time. In the meantime, another piece of pre-match reading material I'd like to point you in the direction of is our full preview piece on Real Madrid vs Barcelona.
El Clásico injury report: which players are sidelined for the Real Madrid vs Barcelona game?
My colleague Fidel Rubio has put together a full report on which Real Madrid and Barcelona players will be sitting out today's Clásico with injury.
It's worth noting that nobody is suspended for the clash at the Bernabéu.
Barcelona's squad for El Clásico
As for Barcelona, the headline inclusion in the visitors' squad is that of Jules Koundé. The France defender has been out of action since sustaining a hamstring injury on international duty in September, but Barça boss Xavi Hernández says the 23-year-old is "100%" fit to return.
Real Madrid's squad for El Clásico
The chief squad news for Real Madrid is that goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is still not ready to return from injury, having missed Los Blancos' last four games with sciatica. Andriy Lunin is expected to deputise for the Belgian once more.
On a positive note, however, defender Antonio Rüdiger is fit to take his place in Madrid's matchday group, despite the head injury he suffered in the midweek draw with Shakhtar Donetsk. "He's a warrior," head coach Carlo Ancelotti said of the German yesterday.
Dani Ceballos is still unavailable, as he recovers from a hamstring injury.
Hello and welcome to our live blog as we build up to this afternoon's Clásico. Top spot in the table is at stake - both teams are level on 22 points with Barça top on goal difference alone.
Yesterday we heard from both coaches, who gave updates on how their injured first team stars were faring and whether they would be fit to play. Ancelotti anounced his 23-man squad for the game while Barcelona flew down to the capital yesterday evening, 21 players in Xavi's travelling squad.
We will be bringing you all of the latest developments, team news, injury updates, interviews, stats, stories and banter during the next few hours right up until kick-off.
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