Barcelona vs Real Madrid, El Clasico LIVE — Mbappe, Yamal start in derby before Ballon d'Or night

Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappé are both hoping to win the Ballon d’Or on Monday night when they are expected to attend the Parisian gala for the most prestigious individual award in soccer.

But just a day before, the two stars aim to shine in a head-to-head battle in Barcelona.

Mbappé’s Real Madrid visits Yamal’s Barcelona trailing the two-time defending La Liga champions already by six points after nine rounds. So the pressure is on Madrid — in third place behind Atletico Madrid — to at least not fall further behind.

Even though voting by journalists for the Ballon d’Or ended in September, fans have become increasingly focused on the award in the run-up to Monday’s ceremony. That makes the clasico an ideal stage for Yamal and Mbappé to make their closing arguments in the court of public opinion. Other top candidates for the award include last year’s winner Ousmane Dembélé, Harry Kane and the 39-year-old Lionel Messi.

Yamal is off to a stellar start this season after he helped Spain win the World Cup in July, beating Mbappé’s France in the semifinals and Messi’s Argentina in the final. The 19-year-old has 10 goals and 10 assists across La Liga and the Champions League, plus another four goals for Spain, already this campaign.

Mbappé, meanwhile, is as ruthless as ever in front of the net. The striker has 12 goals in as many games and, along with goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, he is keeping an otherwise erratic Madrid in touching distance of Barcelona.