La Liga 2018-19: Barcelona to host Cristiano Ronaldo-less Real Madrid for first El Classico in October

Defending Spanish champions FC Barcelona will host Real Madrid on October 28 in the first Clasico of the 2018-19 season, the Spanish football federation released the full fixtures of the season on Tuesday.

Real Madrid, who finished third in the league, 17 points behind champions Barcelona, will host the second meeting of the two Spanish giants on March 3, the federation added as it unveiled the season calendar.

It is not going to be the usual El Classico because Barcelona will face Cristiano Ronaldo-less Real Madrid in a match, which has always been one of the most awaited football fixtures in a calendar year.

While Real will look to close the gap on the arch rivals but the task will not be easy with their best player Ronaldo now moved to Italian club Juventus.

The likes of Chelsea star Eden Hazard and Paris St-Germain duo Neymar and Kylian Mbappe have all been linked. However, Mbappe recently ended the rumours by saying that he will be staying at PSG for the upcoming season.

The season opens on the weekend of August 18-19, and ends on May 18-19. Unlike previous seasons in the Spanish top flight, the system will be non-symmetrical with teams no longer playing each other in the same order as the first half of the season

The Spanish capital's derbies will be at Real's Santiago Bernabeu on September 30 and at Atletico Madrid's Wanda Metropolitano on February 10.

The Copa del Rey final will be held on May 25 at a yet-to-be determined stadium, the federation said.