Barcelona and Real Madrid meet with six-point gap at stake

Barcelona will host Real Madrid at Camp Nou on Sunday, October 25, in a Clásico that could reshape the early La Liga standings. Barcelona enter the match with 27 points from nine wins, six ahead of third-placed Real Madrid, who have 21 points. The fixture is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. local time, according to match listings. A Barcelona victory would extend its lead over Madrid to nine points; a Real Madrid win would cut the gap to three. A draw would leave the six-point margin unchanged. Those possibilities add weight to a meeting between the league’s top two rivals, but the result remains undecided before kickoff. Barcelona’s perfect league start contrasts with a recent setback in Europe: the team lost 4-2 to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. Manager Hansi Flick said Barcelona had analyzed that defeat and identified situations it needed to improve. The loss was Barcelona’s first of the season in all competitions, according to the pre-match account. Real Madrid arrive after four consecutive wins, including a 4-1 Champions League victory over RB Leipzig, and have also won seven league matches. They have lost to Atlético Madrid and Real Betis in the league. José...