Let the 'Clasico' begin

With Mourinho full of confidence, fierce Spanish rivals will renew acquaintances at Nou Camp

Jose Mourinho wants to prove there has been a shift in the balance of power towards his Real Madrid side when the La Liga leader hosts bitter rival Barcelona in the opening 'Clasico' of the campaign on Saturday. Real president Florentino Perez poached the flamboyant Portuguese, a Barca assistant coach in the late 1990s, from Inter Milan at the end of the 2009-10 season to try to wrest the Spanish title back from the Catalan capital.

The consensus, at least among the Madrid fans, is that Real are closer than ever to matching the team many consider the best club side ever and several hundred million TV viewers worldwide will tune in for kickoff (2100 GMT) to witness the latest installment of one of the most intense rivalries in the game.