Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema has insisted that El Clasico is still the biggest match in football despite Lionel Messi's departure over the summer.

Los Blancos will travel to Camp Nou next weekend to take on Barcelona, who are currently down in ninth position in La Liga following a disappointing start to the season.

Neither Messi nor Cristiano Ronaldo are part of the contest following their departures, but Benzema has said that "it remains the best match that exists in football".

"For me, it's still the same. It remains the best match that exists in football," Benzema told ESPN. "It doesn't matter about the players who are there, who have left or who will join.

"Real Madrid vs Barcelona is historic. The names change but before there was [Zinedine] Zidane, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, [Samuel] Eto'o. Real Madrid vs Barcelona will always be Real Madrid vs Barcelona."

Real Madrid had been due to face Athletic Bilbao in La Liga this weekend, but the contest was postponed due to the scheduling of the South American World Cup qualifiers. body check tags ::