Why Real Madrid v Barcelona kicks off at Saturday lunch

Memories of the greatest Clasico encounters often revolve around the best Real Madrid and Barcelona teams and players facing off under floodlights, with evening kick-offs suiting such dramatic occasions. 

This year, however, the match will be held in the pale light of a winter’s day in the Spanish capital, with kick-off at 1pm local time on Saturday – noon in the UK.

While it is hardly unusual for a La Liga match to kick-off at lunchtime, it is hardly the prime slot associated with what is widely considered the most prestigious club match in world football. 

Theories abound as to why the game is being played so early in the weekend, with a primary reason seeming to be that the time fits in better with the TV audience in Asia.

Saturday at 1pm in Spanish time converts to 3pm in Doha, 4pm in Dubai, 8pm in Beijing and 9pm in Tokyo – much more suitable viewing hours than a middle of the night showing, which would have transpired had the game started in the evening in Europe. 

It is a market the Premier League has successfully exploited for years, with big teams often playing on Saturday lunchtime, while Real and Barca have also featured in the time slot before – but not against each other.

The early kick-off is a nod to the Asian audience, who will be able to watch the game live

The early kick-off is also a concession to fans closer to home, as it means their winter break from La Liga can start a little bit earlier. 

December 23 is unusually close to Christmas for the Clasico to take place, and has not gone down well with those travelling to the game, or those trying to balance their family and footballing plans.

As a result the game starts earlier, and the only matches taking place later on in La Liga are local derbies – Valencia against Villarreal at 4.15pm in Spain, and finally Deportivo at home to Celta Vigo at 6.30pm.

These matches round off 2017 in the Spanish league, which will then not resume until January 6.