It's El Clasico

Barcelona and Madrid are squaring off at Camp Nou for the 1st clasico of the season, which could turn out to be a mouth watering clash as Bale and Neymar could show what they are made of.

The Barca attack which was virtually unstoppable in the early stages of the new campaign. They have only scored one goal over the past two matches, and their overdependance on Messi already on the show, however, which should give Real an extra boost of confidence as they arrive to Camp Nou.

While Barcelona are going through a brief lull, los Blancos are coming off an impressive midweek victory over Juventus. It makes for an intriguing rivalry clash as Barca attempt to rebound and Real try to keep their recent hot streak alive.

For Barcelona, the squad is highlighted by the dynamic attacking duo of Lionel Messi and Neymar, who have been able to forge a successful partnership quickly. The Brazilian's willingness to adapt to a playmaking role has helped that process. Of course, while Messi and Neymar dominate the headlines, the midfield is still the foundation of Barca's success. Andres Iniesta and Xavi continue to showcase terrific form, which makes the forwards' job much easier.
They don't represent as big of an advantage over Real Madrid this season, though. The arrivals of Gareth Bale and Isco have bolstered the talent level in the middle of the pitch for Real and that will certainly come in handy for these rivalry matches.
The Blancos will also need a strong showing from Diego Lopez to secure a positive result. For Real to emerge from Camp Nou with a win, the goalkeeper will probably have to outshine all of the aforementioned superstars.

Also on the mind should be the league table as Madrid currently trail table toppers Barca by 3 points and Atletico Madrid lead their rival city by 2 points.

La Liga top 2 spenders

After looking at the EPL top spending clubs in our previous post, lets take a look at La Liga top two spending clubs.

Barcelona - £62 million

Barcelona added only one player in the transfer window, a marquee signing in the form of Neymar for slightly over £50 million. But they have to shell out around £12 million for their own striker Bojan Krkic.

Bojan was with AS Roma for two years—the second of which was actually spent at AC Milan—but under the terms of the initial agreement, the Spanish side had to fork out to bring back the one-time wonderkid if Roma decided they didn't want to keep him for a longer period. It's turned out to be a costly deal for the Catalan side, but they will hope the addition of Neymar is enough to propel them to another La Liga title.
One thing they will rue, their inability to sign a Centre Back as their defence could be the weak link.

Real Madrid - £144 million

Having broken their own world record for a transfer fee (which they break again and again) following the capture of Gareth Bale from Spurs.  His £85 million deal makes up the vast expenditure from last season's La Liga runners-up, but they also doled out huge fees on Spanish duo Asier Illarramendi and Isco, both of whom will have big expectations on their shoulders to wrest back the league title from Barcelona this season.
 Casemiro and Dani Carvajal were lower outlays, and Carlo Ancelotti will be hopeful that he now has a balanced squad with enough depth to challenge on all three fronts.
And, let's be honest, if he hasn't, then question marks will be raised over one man above all others.

Big matchups of UCL group stages

Mouth Watering Clashes of Champions league group stages 

Arsenal vs. Borussia Dortmund 

Arsenal fans were in for a disappointment as they were placed in "Group of Death" to deal with BVB, Napoli and Marseille.
 It's a tough group in general and Dortmund will be the favorites to win Group F, but Arsenal could give them a great run and even take it in the end. The Gunners have looked good early in the season, and with their style, they can get on the counter and snatch a goal very quickly.

The issue will be whether or not Arsenal will be able to handle Dortmund's attack, which has brilliantly coped with departure of Mario Gotze. Robert Lewandowski and Marco Reus are still there, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has wasted little time in bedding into Dortmund. Both teams play a very attractive brand of football, so this one will be entertaining for the neutrals. 

Real Madrid vs. Juventus 

The winner of Group B will almost certainly be either Real Madrid or Juventus.
There's a combined 11 European titles between Madrid and Juventus—nine and two, respectively. There's also Carlo Ancelotti facing off against Juve, a club he's no stranger to from his time as manager from 1999-2001 and subsequent tenure at AC Milan.
Just thinking about the battle in midfield is enough to make your mouth water. With Madrid, you've got Sami Khedira, Xabi Alonso, Luka Modric, Mesut Ozil and Isco. Juventus feature Paul Pogba, Claudio Marchisio, Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal.
Cristiano Ronaldo could prove the difference, as the reigning Italian champions lack an attacker who can change a game like Ronaldo can. Juve have gotten better with the additions of Fernando Llorente and Carlos Tevez, though, and they're much more prepared for a deep European run.

Madrid captures Bale in a record £93 mn deal

If rumours are to be believed Tottenham Hotspur star Gareth Bale will complete his move to Real Madrid on Friday. 
The 24-year-old has been a target for the Spanish giants throughout the summer, and the long-running saga over his world-record transfer is set to come to an end within 24 hours. The Wales international will become the world's most expensive player in a £93 million deal.

The previous world-record transfer fee was set when Real paid £80 million to Manchester United for Cristiano Ronaldo in July 2009.  Real Madrid defender Fabio Coentrao is set to join Spurs as part of the deal.
Tottenham technical director Franco Baldini is currently in Madrid to finalise the move for Bale, which will also see Erik Lamela join the White Hart Lane club from AS Roma.
Bale joined Spurs from Southampton in 2007 and has scored 42 goals in 146 Premier League appearances for the White Hart Lane side.
Real want Bale to make his debut in the televised La Liga clash against Athletic Bilbao a week from Sunday. The report claims Bernabeu president Florentino Perez wants to maximise the arrival of Bale in the midday kickoff to television audiences in the Far East and Asia.
Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas has been building his squad with the arrivals of players such as Roberto Soldado, Etienne Capoue, Paulinho and Nacer Chadli.
The North London club are also hoping to add Willian to their squad from Anzhi Makhachkala in a £30 million deal, which will take their spending during the current transfer window to almost £90 million. Spurs have recouped £23 million from the departures of Steven Caulker, Clint Dempsey, Scott Parker and Tom Huddlestone this summer.

Madrid suffered Xabi setback

Real Madrid suffered a setback as they will be without veteran midfielder Xabi Alonso for an extended period of time after it was announced he suffered a broken metatarsal in his right foot.
Real Madrid, which opened the new campaign with a narrow 2-1 victory over Real Betis last weekend will miss the services of 31 year old as for the past four seasons he is the stabilizing force in the midfield for the Blancos.

He's appeared in at least 40 matches across all competitions in each of those campaigns, a run of terrific durability that ends with the foot ailment. Based on the initial timetable, the earliest Alonso is expected back would be late October.
That said, it's hard to imagine Real rushing him back into action given the nature of the injury. They will want his foot fully healed before he returns to action. The back end of the projected recovery period is late November or early December, which is probably a safer estimation for when the 31-year-old Spanish international will return.
In the meantime, the club will have numerous options to fill the void, showing the importance of depth for title-hopeful sides. Luka Modric can move into more of a central playmaking role from the holding role he's filled since arriving at the Bernabeu. Sami Khedira could also slide into one of the two roles, depending on where Modric feels most comfortable. The other option is asking a younger player to take on a more prominent role in the center of the pitch. Asier Illarramendi and Casemiro are both central midfielders with plenty of upside, but it's unclear if Carlo Ancelotti is ready to give them such a crucial role. Real Madrid will hope for no further setbacks during Alonso's latest recovery.

Until he's ready, Ancelotti will have to juggle the lineup and hope something clicks.

Isco shines in La liga debut for Real

Summer signing Isco scored a dramatic winner to give new Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti a positive debut in a 2-1 home victory over Real Betis on Sunday.
 Betis had taken the lead in the 14th minute through Jorge Molina, but Karim Benzema equalised for Madrid 12 minutes later. The score was 1-1 at halftime, but both teams could have scored more before the break.

Three times Madrid had goals ruled out for offside and Betis came close through Nosa's powerful header, which cannoned off Diego Lopez's crossbar in the 36th minute. Madrid threatened throughout the second half, with Cristiano Ronaldo forcing multiple saves, but the score remained level until the 86th minute.

Then Isco—who signed for Madrid from Malaga in July—headed in Marcelo's cross for the winner. Ancelotti, who managed Paris Saint-Germain to the Ligue 1 title last season, opted for Lopez in goal ahead of Spain No. 1 Iker Casillas.

Stats
Shots: Madrid 20-11 Betis
 Passing: Madrid 85%-75% Betis
 Possession: Madrid 62%-38% Betis

Watch the highlights

Spur without Bale power in their opening salvo

Gareth Bale will miss Tottenham Hotspur's first Premier League game of the season, manager Andre Villas-Boas has revealed.

 The 24-year-old did not play for Wales in the international friendly against the Republic of Ireland this week due to a foot injury. When asked if Bale would play against Crystal Palace on Sunday,
Villas-Boas told Sky Sports the following: No, because he's been out injured for most of pre-season. He was involved in the games against Brentford and Swindon but not any others, for different reasons; pulled a muscle in his gluteus that prevented him from being involved for two weeks and he's been complaining of pain in the foot. For the most part, he has spent his time as the subject of persistent transfer rumours.
With the Real Madrid target now missing Tottenham's first league game of the season, speculation over the player's future is likely to escalate even more.
 A world-record fee of £85 million for the player had been suggested, as Sky Sportsreported, but Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has slapped a £105 million figure on Bale, according to Darren Lewis of the Daily Mirror. Levy has become concerned that Real do not have the funds available to finance the world-record move for the former Southampton man, according to Lewis. What's more, Real's public pursuit of Bale during the summer has angered Tottenham and manager Villas-Boas, as BBC Sport reported earlier this month. The White Hart Lane club will continue their efforts to persuade Bale to stay at the club. They have already spent £50 million on Paulinho, Roberto Soldado and Nacer Chadli, while BBC Sport broke the news on Thursday morning that Etienne Capoue has completed his £9 million move from Toulouse. 

Moving forward, Spurs are seeking even more new arrivals before the transfer window closes on Sept. 2, according to Tony Banks of Express. That includes targets of Erik Lamela from Roma, Ajax midfielder Christian Eriksen and Willian of Anzhi Makhachkala.