Barcelona head coach Ronald Koeman Photo: VCG

El Clasico returns for its first outing since COVID-19 affected Spanish football and it will be unusual that there will be empty stands at the Camp Nou for the meeting between Barcelona and Real Madrid.

This marks the 90th season that the teams have faced one another and they have arguably never been bigger. 

There are 112 countries and regions showing the game, which will kick off at the fan-friendly time of 10 pm in China. Up to 700 fans in Shanghai will be allowed into the official viewing party for the game, as part of La Liga events across the globe.

COVID-19 means that not everyone can gather as they normally would - fans in Latin America can visit drive-in cinema locations across Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador and Argentina to watch the match.

It's hard for fans to think of anything else, but not Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane.

"The other matches will then come, but the only game we're preparing for right now is tomorrow's," Zidane told a news conference on Tuesday ahead of his side opening their UEFA Champions League season with the visit of Ukrainian giants Shakhtar Donetsk.

His desire to keep on track was understandable after Real were beaten by lowly Cadiz in La Liga last weekend, enjoying only two shots on target in their defeat. 

As you would expect with a club of Real's stature, the critics have not been slow in offering an opinion. Zidane waved them away, speaking to Spanish media.

"We know what we have to do. Criticism when losing will always pass. We played a bad game and now there is another one to change that. We have to be together and to fight for everything that we have ahead."

Hopeful Fati

Barcelona's Ansu Fati is yet to start a Clasico. 

He came off the bench in both of last season's La Liga meeting between the two biggest clubs in football. The teenage sensation has his fingers crossed that will change on Saturday.

"I hope I can play El Clasico, I've always dreamed of it," Fati told Spanish broadcaster Movistar after another goalscoring performance midweek.

Fati scored against Hungarian champions Ferencvaros in Barcelona's UEFA Champions League opener, a game they went on to win 5-1.

The Spain striker set a record, too, becoming the first player to have scored twice in the competition under the age of 18. "Our ambitions are very high, we want to win all the competitions," he said.

"Two very beautiful games are coming that I have always dreamed of playing and hopefully I can have the opportunity to do so," Fati added, also looking forward to meeting Juventus in the hurried new format of the Champions League.

Fati has four goals in five games this season and it will be hard for new Barca boss Ronald Koeman to look past the teen when he picks his starting lineup.

The Dutchman, who was a club legend as a ballplaying defender in the 1990s, has another youngster knocking on the door of his first team.

Pedri joined Barcelona from Las Palmas and Fati's fellow teenager is quickly following in his footsteps. Pedri came on for Fati against Ferencvaros and scored his first Champions League goal to seal Barca's win.

It was noted in the Spanish press that 17-year-old Pedri arrived and left in a taxi as he is too young to have a driving license. 

It was also pointed out that he turned up to the stadium not with a designer rucksack or bespoke washbag but a plastic bag from the supermarket.

Keen to play up youth

There is nothing commonplace about either player's talent and Koeman knows this.

"Ansu and Pedri are ready to be starters. It doesn't depend on age, it depends on performance," Koeman told the assembled media ahead of the Champions League kickoff against Ferencvaros.

"I am very happy for them, they are young and they will have ups and downs in which we will have to help, they are both doing very well. They are sure to form part of his long term vision as much they are his first team for Saturday, where a win would send a message to the league champions.

Koeman has been keen to play up youth.

"We play different," Koeman told reporters after the Ferencvaros win, where thanks to Fati and Pedri, the Catalans became the first club to feature two goalscorers aged 17 or under in a UEFA Champions League game. "We have made changes on the squad, we have chosen young people, so we can't expect more from this team right now.

"This team is gonna have a great future, but it must improve. Playing with young players, different tactics ... Be calm, I ask you to give a margin. We are going to improve. We can't demand it in two or three weeks, but you'll see that soon the team will play better, will be more comfortable, but we need time."

A win over their greatest rivals will buy Koeman time as he tries to turn around a club in crisis. 

It was only a month ago that club captain and record scorer Lionel Messi was threatening to walk away and the aftermath of that could see club president Josep Bartomeu step down before losing a vote of confidence against him.

On top of that, the press are playing up problems with Antoine Griezmann, casting the Frenchman as this season's Gareth Bale. 

They also have the ammunition of Koeman letting Luis Suarez, one of the finest forwards in the club's history and a great friend of Messi, go to Atletico Madrid - a card they are sure to play should the Dutchman struggle.

These are interesting times at Barcelona but a win in the first COVID-19 Clasico gives them all a chance to breathe.
Newspaper headline: The Covid-19 Clasico