You can enjoy the most important Classic in the world exclusively on ESPN on Disney+
The first classic between Barcelona and Real Madrid You can enjoy the 2024-25 season exclusively for ESPN on Disney+.
The Spanish duel will be played in New Jersey this Saturday, August 3, and promises to be very exciting, even though it is a pre-season edition.
Here are five reasons to watch El Clásico:
Endrick dribbles the ball for Real Madrid against Barcelona Antonio Villalba/Real Madrid via Getty Images
Endrick and the jewel Arda Güler after a great Euro
The arrival of Kylian Mbappé al Real Madrid It is one of the most important signings in the club’s history, but the arrival of young Endrick has also been highlighted by fans. Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti is excited about the level that the Brazilian striker can reach: “What I see is that he has something very special. He is very fast and powerful in tight spaces and very skillful in his run. He is a great talent. It is quite rare to see a player with these types of characteristics,” said Ancelotti about Endrick.
Another player to watch will be Arda Gulerwho had few minutes for Madrid last season due to injuries, but shone with the Turkish national team at EURO 2024. “Now he is more powerful, more resistant and with the same quality. It is going to be an important season, with more prominence than last year,” said Carlo Ancelotti when asked about the Turkish pearl.
Hansi Flick’s first classic
When everything seemed that Xavi Hernandez would continue as Barcelona’s coach for the 2024-25 season, the Barça board announced the departure of the Spaniard and days later shared the arrival of Hansi Flickwho won the sextuple with Bayern Munich, but who did not have a good spell in charge of the German national team.
Flick reaches a Barcelona who had a very complicated 2023-24 campaign by not winning titles, so the German will have the pressure to deliver good results from the first days. The Classic against the Real Madrid It could be a good opportunity for the coach to show the style of play he wants to bring to the Barça squad.
Mexican Julian Araujo seeks to earn a place
The Aztec full-back was bought by the Barcelona in 2023, but was loaned to Las Palmas in the 2023-24 campaign, where he played 25 games in Spain’s top division. For the 2024-25 season, Araujo returned to Barcelona and will try to earn the trust of Hansi Flickwho will be in charge of leading the culés to fight for the first places in LaLiga y Champions League.
Araujo was considered by Flick for the Barcelona first team’s preseason and the former LA Galaxy player has started in the two friendlies that the German coach has taken charge of. If the Mexican gets minutes and looks good in the Clasico, he could secure his place in the first team.
How will Barcelona solve Ronald Araujo’s long absence?
The Uruguayan Ronald Araujo He is considered one of the best defenders in the world, however, the Uruguayan will miss almost the entire first half of next season due to an injury he suffered in the Copa América and which will keep him off the field until the end of 2024.
Without a doubt, Araujo’s injury is a sensitive loss for the Barcelonaso one of Flick’s first challenges at the helm of the culé squad will be to find options to cover Ronald’s absence. Given the Manchester CityBarcelona’s first match in the Soccer Champions TourHansi used youngsters like Héctor Fort, Sergi Domínguez and Gerard Martín, who look like interesting options to replace Araujo.
Real Madrid post Toni Kroos
The German Toni Kroos He said goodbye to professional football after playing in EURO 2024 and the midfielder’s quality will be difficult to replace, he acknowledged Charles Ancelotti“We are missing Kroos, but we have every opportunity to replace him, in a different way obviously, because there is no player with the quality that he has,” said the Italian coach in a press conference.
Real Madrid will play its first Clásico without Kroos in its squad, but the game of the Barcelona It could be an ideal scenario for Ancelotti to discover the best way to make people forget about the German and what he brought to the Merengues’ game.
