Gerard Pique v Karim Benzema

At the other end of the pitch there is a strikingly similar matchup.

With Ronaldo gone, French forward Benzema can finally play as a central striker, but has thus far fired mainly blanks. His early header in the 2-1 victory over Viktoria Plzen at the weekend was his first goal since September 1 and his form has been much maligned as Real went eight hours without scoring earlier this season.

Pique, who, if Ramos is Mr Real Madrid, is Mr Barcelona, has also made a number of errors that have resulted in his team making a sketchy start to the season.

Without the threat of Ronaldo to deal with, the Spaniard will come up against a Benzema determined to make his mark. Marc-Andre ter Stegen

v Thibaut Courtois With their central defenders enduring patchy form it is perhaps no surprise that both of these goalkeepers have been busy so far this season.

German Ter Stegen has, aside from Messi, arguably been Barca’s standout performer, which gives an indication of how overworked he has been. He has conceded 11 times in nine games thus far, giving the Camp Nou side only the joint10th best defensive record in La Liga this season.

Courtois, meanwhile, was brought in to much fanfare this summer after excelling at the World Cup. While the Belgian has shipped fewer goals (nine), some fans feel deputy Keylor Navas should be No 1. Philippe Coutinho v Gareth Bale

Without Messi and Ronaldo, eyes will be on Barca and Real’s club record transfers.

Coutinho, who arrived for £142 million in January, took time to adapt, but is now a key cog in their midfield. He will be tasked with unlocking the visiting defence with a killer ball, while also fancying his chances from set-pieces.

In the capital, Bale has yet to show he is the man to fill the Ronaldo void and provide moments of brilliance when his team need it most.

There is no doubting the Welshman’s quality - he scored a wonderful equalising goal in this fixture last season – but niggling injuries have blighted his past couple of years in Madrid.