Is Real Madrid vs Barcelona on TV? Where to watch El Clasico in the UK tonight - channel for Copa del Rey semi

Barcelona and Real Madrid will reignite their fierce rivalry once again tonight.

The La Liga giants will meet for the second El Clasico so far in 2023 on Thursday (2 March). Xavi’s side had the better of Carlo Ancelotti’s men when they played in the Spanish Super Cup final in Riyadh in January.

Barcelona will travel to the Santiago Bernabeu, home of Real Madrid, for the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final tonight. It will kick-off at 8pm UK time.

In the second semi-final, Osasuna hosted Athletic Bilbao in Pamplona on Wednesday (1 March) and took a 1-0 lead going into the second leg next month.

Barcelona’s win in the Spanish Super Cup final earlier in 2023 was the first trophu of Xavi’s reign. But the semi-final comes after Barca were knocked out of the Europa League by Manchester United and then lost to to Almeria in La Liga on Sunday (26 February).

Real Madrid failed to beat 10-man Athletico Madrid on Saturday (25 February) but take a 5-2 lead into a second leg against Liverpool in the Champions League round of 16.

The final of 2023 Copa del Rey will take place on 6 May and will take place at Estadio La Cartuja in Sevilla, which will host the competition until 2024. But will Barcelona or Real Madrid make it to the final?

Here is all you need to know:

How can you watch the Copa del Rey semi-final?

BT Sports have coverage of the El Clasico tonight. TV coverage will begin at 7.45pm on BT Sport 1 ahead of kick-off at 8pm.

Can you live stream El Clasico?

If you have the BT Sports app, you will be able to stream the Spanish Super Cup final. It is kicking off at 10pm local time.

Why has David Alba been criticised by fans?

The Real Madrid star has faced criticism online from supporters ahead of El Clasico. He was targeted with messages and emojis sent to his social media accounts after his vote went to Argentina’s World Cup-winning captain Messi rather than his Real Madrid team-mate Benzema in the polling for the men’s player of the year award.

Messi was confirmed as the winner of the prize at a ceremony in Paris on Monday (27 February) ahead of France strikers Kylian Mbappe and Benzema. Austria captain Alaba has pointed out that he was voting on behalf of his national team, not simply in a personal capacity, and the majority preference was for Messi.

The 30-year-old tweeted: “Regarding FIFA The Best Award: The Austrian national team vote for this award as a team, not me alone.

“Everyone in the team council is able to vote and that’s how it’s decided. Everyone knows, especially Karim, how much I admire him and his performances and I have often said that for me he is the best striker in the world, and that is still the case. Without doubt.”

Meanwhile, Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic has accused FIFA, the world governing body, of showing a lack of respect towards his national side.

Dalic, who guided Croatia to the semi-finals of the World Cup last year after reaching the final in 2018, felt his team and players deserved greater recognition than they received in the awards shortlists. Dalic consequently did not vote in protest.