by Tim Stannard

Fears over civil unrest in Barcelona cause postponement of 26^th October El Clasico

beIN SPORTS and an awful lot of other people around the world are sadly taking down the banners, cancelling the early morning coffee and donuts for next Saturday and having a bit of a mope.

Unfortunately, many are also cancelling expensive travel plans and having dreams dashed.

El Clasico is off. It will be back. Not sure when yet. But it will not be taking place next Saturday at the Camp Nou after the Competition Committee of the Spanish Football Federation postponed the game due to fears over civil unrest in Barcelona on the original date of the match on the 26th October.

It's all down to a butterfly effect from Monday which saw the Spanish Supreme Court handing down lengthy prison sentences for Catalan political leaders for holding a referendum on independence in 2017, a move deemed illegal. 

Both Barcelona and Real Madrid now have to get their heads together and work out when the game will be moved to and hope that a termite infestation, sinkhole or alien invasion does not get in the way of a second attempt to stage the game, potentially on December 18th. 

The Barcelona team is currently in Eibar, ahead of Saturday's early morning - in the US of A - La Liga return for the Catalan club. Lionel Messi looks hot to trot to start in a game that gets underway at 7AM ET.

Madrid will be heading into the Med to take on Mallorca on Saturday at 3PM ET so Coach Zizou was speaking on Friday morning about the decision to postpone the game. “We’ll be ready for the date that the smart people tell us,” said Zidane, who is set to be without the injured Gareth Bale for Saturday’s game.

The Sports Burst live show will be looking at the weekend ahead at 12PM ET. Just head to our beIN SPORTS USA Facebook page for all the fun.

Mbappe and Cavani return to boost PSG firepower on Friday

With arms outstretched in supplication – if that’s the right way to supplicate – Sports Burst is tickled pink to see the return of club football on Friday.

That’s especially the case as PSG are leading the way in the day’s roster of rampant excitement. Neymar might be sitting out the next month – quite literally, at least for a while – PSG should not notice the difference as the team’s strength this year has been built on a tough as nails midfield and defense. 

Eight of the team’s last nine games have produced clean sheets which bodes well for the future considering PSG’s recent leakiness.

The Parisians are heading down south to take on Patrick Viera’s Nice, which have been a little peculiar so far this season but owned by billionaire which bodes well for the future. 

“It’s a nice time now in Nice!” beamed Thomas Tuchel, potentially attempting a cheeky play on words. Kylian Mbappe, Edison Cavani and Mauro Icardi are all in the squad in the match that is live, live, live on beIN SPORTS at 2:45PM ET.

Elsewhere, Granada has the chance to move into second place in LaLiga – at least temporarily with a victory over Osasuna. That game is live on CONNECT at 3PM ET. 

Can’t wait for that? Then how about Galatasaray in a match-up against Sivasspor that will hopefully see Radomel Falcao finding his scoring cleats. Click Notes on this – Gala are at home but have been dreadful this year with just two wins in seven. Sivasspor are second. This may not end well for the big cheeses.

United playing long game says Solskjaer ahead of Liverpool clash

Manchester United have to wait until Sunday to play their Old Trafford clash against Liverpool. But everyone has rebooted their club football hard drive to remember that the Red Devils aren't really very good these days, lying just two points off the relegation zone. 

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had his turn before the media on Friday and declared that "I've never felt (the job) is too big for me." The Norwegian was standing by the long-term strategy - if there is such a thing - of the club. Short term pain for long term gain. And panic-buying in January probably. 

Jurgen Klopp seems to be running with borrowed time theory for Ole by noting on Friday that "I want every manager to have as much time in the world but no club is willing to wait for success.”

Liverpool’s coach also cast some cold water that United’s two star players would be ruled out of the match as well - "yesterday no chance for De Gea and Pogba. Today it’s a maybe. Tomorrow it’s a chance."