3:15 p.m. on December 3, at Camp Nou.
The referee, Gomes, checked his stopwatch and blew the kickoff whistle right on time for this globally anticipated El Clásico.
After kickoff, Real Madrid launched an aggressive press against Barcelona's midfield and back line. In the third minute, De Bruyne received the ball in midfield and sent a lofted long pass, switching play precisely from the right side of the center circle to the left side of the area in front of Barcelona's box, sending Yang Yang and Suarez sprinting forward to chase it.
Unfortunately, both Yang Yang and Suarez were a step too slow this time. Ter Stegen decisively rushed off his line, charging beyond the penalty area. He reached the ball before Yang Yang and kicked it past him. Yang Yang immediately stopped and pressed back, but the German goalkeeper cleared the ball with a powerful kick.
"Ter Stegen's rush was extremely timely, but Barcelona's defense was in an exceptionally dangerous position."
"Real Madrid showed an aggressive momentum right from the start. It looks like they intend to seize the initiative at Camp Nou, which is rather unexpected. Pre-match analysis suggested that Real Madrid could play more steadily instead of rushing to secure points."
"But Real Madrid have taken the initiative away from home. That's somewhat surprising."
"Another surprise is Real Madrid's starting lineup for this match."
"Courtois is in goal. The back line consists of Marcelo, Javi Martínez, Ramos, and Carvajal. Casemiro is the holding midfielder. Toni Kroos is absent through injury, so Real Madrid have fielded a combination of David Silva and De Bruyne in midfield. Up front is the Trident of Hazard, Yang Yang, and Di Maria."
"It's clear that Real Madrid intend to defeat their opponents away from home."
"That's an extremely bold and courageous decision."