El Clasico team news - Paco Alcacer replaces Neymar, Gareth Bale starts

ByPete Sharland

Published 23/04/2017 at 17:44 GMT

Gareth Bale is fit enough to start for Real Madrid in El Clasico at the Bernabeu whilst Paco Alcacer replaces the suspended Neymar for Barcelona.

Bale missed the 3-2 win over Sporting Gijon and the 4-2 Champions League win over Bayern Munich with a calf injury but he gave Zinedine Zidane a boost when he was able to be named in the squad for the match.

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Zidane has decided that he is fit enough to start and he will start in the front three alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.

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Gareth Bale - Real Madrid

Image credit: Getty Images

Barcelona appealed Neymar's red card that the Brazilian was shown in the 2-0 defeat against Malaga but the ban has been upheld and he continues to serve a three-match ban.

In his absence Alcacer, the summer signing from Valencia, starts with Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi.

Jordi Alba starts at left-back as Luis Enrique goes with a back four rather than three.

TEAMS:

Real Madrid - Navas; Carvajal, Ramos, Nacho, Marcelo; Kroos, Casemiro, Modric; Bale, Benzema, Ronaldo

Barcelona - Ter Stegen; Roberto, Pique, Umtiti, Alba; Busquets, Rakitic, Iniesta; Messi, Suarez, Paco Alcacer

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