El Clasico sees referee change a day prior as fans gear up for Real Madrid vs Barcelona

The latest LaLiga news is that the El Clasico referee has been replaced a day prior to the game of Real Madrid vs Barcelona. Referee Mateu Lahoz was appointed for the game on Saturday but due to a muscle injury will not be available to referee the game. The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has now decided to appoint Gil Manzano as his replacement for keeping order at the Alfredo Di Stefano Stadium. 

Real Madrid vs Barcelona: RFEF explains reason for last-minute El Clasico referee change

The RFEF released a statement to explain the last-minute El Clasico referee change. "The Arbitration Committee of the Professional Competition (CACP) has changed the appointment of referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz due to a muscle injury, the referee initially appointed to direct the match between Real Madrid CF - FC Barcelona on matchday 30 of the First Division. His replacement will be Jesús Gil Manzano," read the statement. One will have to wait till Saturday to see how the referee change affects the game.

El Clasico: Real Madrid vs Barcelona preview

The El Clasico fixture is always a crucial game for both Real Madrid and Barcelona but none more so than this year. After 29 matches, just two points separate second-placed Barcelona and third-placed Real Madrid as both continue to chase down leaders Atletico Madrid. Atletico have scored 66 points and have a one-point lead over Barcelona and a three-point lead over Real Madrid. The winner of El Clasico is ensured of going top of the LaLiga table for at least 24 hours as Atletico play their match on Sunday.

Heading into El Clasico, Real Madrid will be without captain Sergio Ramos who suffered a muscle injury. Meanwhile, Raphael Varane is also sidelined after testing positive for COVID-19. As for Barcelona, Gerard Pique could make his return to the starting line-up while Ansu Fati and Philippe Coutinho are both long-term absentees.

Real Madrid vs Barcelona live stream: How to watch El Clasico live in India?

El Clasico is scheduled for Sunday, April 11 with the kickoff set to begin at 12:30 AM IST. The match will be played at Madrid's training ground - Alfredo Di Stefano Stadium. Unfortunately, in India, there will be no live telecast of the El Clasico game. However, fans can watch the Real Madrid vs Barcelona live stream on the official LaLiga page on Facebook. Live scores and updates from the game will be available on the Twitter handles of both teams.