The first el Clasico of the 2016/17 season between Barcelona and Real Madrid kicks off on Sunday, April 23, 2017.
The kickoff time, however, will be very unconventional.
Here’s the start-time for the Barcelona vs. Real Madrid el Clasico:
• USA: 2:45pm ET
The start time is much earlier than usual. One reason is that both Real Madrid and Barcelona play in the UEFA Champions League next week, so they want as much time as possible to rest and recuperate before their midweek games. But the move by La Liga may also be to ensure that el Clasico is shown at night instead of the early morning hours in Asia. For example, the kickoff time converts to 11:15pm in Beijing, China.
