体坛英语新闻：El Classico: Main dish for matchday nine

MADRID, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- There is no doubt which game is going to capture most of the attention in match day nine of the BBVA Primera Liga: the "Classico" between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium, but that should not allow football fans to forget there are another nine games to be played in the Spanish top flight this weekend.

The Classico has all of the ingredients to live up to its billing with Cristiano Ronaldo, Leo Messi, Neymar and possibly Gareth Bale going head to head and Luis Suarez poised to make his debut for Barcelona after completing his four-month suspension.

On top of that Messi needs one goal to equal and two goals to break Telmo Zarra's all-time scoring record in Spain, while Barca have so far kept eight clean sheets in the competition.

A win for Luis Enrique's side in "enemy territory" would move Barca seven points clear of Real Madrid, while a win for Madrid would lift them to within one point of Barca.

Both sides are in fantastic form and it promises to be one of the most entertaining and decisive matches of the campaign.

However, there is plenty of other action in the Liga, starting on Friday night when Lucas Alcaraz makes his debut as Levante coach in a difficult away trip to face Celta Vigo. Alcaraz needs to install some defensive discipline into a side which has so far looked relegation fodder.

Athletic Club Bilbao have also had a surprisingly bad start to the campaign, although their form has improved slightly since the international break. Coach Ernesto Valverde needs to see that improvement turn into points away to Almeria on Saturday afternoon.

The final whistle will have just blown on the Classico when Valencia kick off their match at home to Elche, another relegation candidate.

Valencia suffered a shock 3-0 defeat away to Deportivo la Coruna a week ago which saw them slip down to fourth in the table, but strikers Paco Alcarez and Rodrigo will be hoping to find their shooting boots and close the gap on the top three.

Saturday ends with Eibar at home to a Granada side which has run out of gas in recent games, while another coach makes the debut as Miroslav Djukic's Cordoba entertain a Real Sociedad reeling after a home defeat to Getafe on Monday.

Sunday kicks off with Rayo making the trip to Malaga for what promises to be an open game of attacking football between two sides full of confidence.

That is followed by Espanyol entertaining Deportivo La Coruna, before Sevilla face sixth placed Villarreal. Sevilla have been the surprise package of the season to date and if Real Madrid defeat Barca, a win for Unai Emery's side would take them level of points at the top of the table.

Finally the round of matches ends with a Madrid derby on Sunday night as Getafe entertain Atletico Madrid in the Alfonso Perez Coliseum.