El Clasico is the very pinnacle of football. 

It's only fitting that Saturday night's clash between Real Madrid and Barcelona will have serious ramifications for La Liga's title race, with the Blaugrana poised to go top - at least temporarily - if they win.

That would cap a remarkable turnaround for a club who seem to have spent much of the season in crisis. 

Ronald Koeman has turned the ship around thanks to Lionel Messi hitting top mode in 2021 and breakthrough campaigns from the likes of Pedri. In short, Barca's veterans are finally pulling in the same direction as their young talent and it could see them usurp Atletico Madrid at the summit. 

Real Madrid, meanwhile, come off a masterful performance against Liverpool in midweek. Toni Kroos, Casemiro and Luka Modric pulled the strings in midfield and it was the perfect springboard for this weekend's game. 

El Clasico has always been a showcase for some of the world's best players and it'll be no different this time around. It's expected to be a high-tempo, end-to-end game - especially if defensive rocks Gerard Pique and Sergio Ramos both miss out. 

That could lend itself to some of the faster players on the pitch shining - and fortunately, Marca have provided the full breakdown of who to look out for. 

The Spanish publication have listed the 10 fastest players from each side, judging by their highest speeds over the last 10 games. 

Real Madrid's fastest players 

10. Toni Kroos (26.9km/h)

9. Casemiro (27.1km/h)

8. Luka Modric (27.8km/h)

7. Nacho (28.5km/h)

6. Karim Benzema (29km/h)

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5. Lucas Vazquez (29.3km/h)

4. Marco Asensio (29.7km/h)

3. Ferland Mendy (30.2km/h)

2. Eder Militao (30.4km/h)

1. Vinicius Junior (30.6km/h)

A certain Vinicius Junior is Real's top man. Trent Alexander-Arnold can definitely vouch for that!

Barcelona's fastest players 

10. Sergio Busquets (26.5km/h)

9. Lionel Messi (27.4km/h)

8. Pedri (27.7km/h)

7. Antoine Griezmann (28km/h)

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6. Frenkie de Jong (28.1km/h)

5. Clement Lenglet (28.7km/h)

4. Óscar Mingueza (29.6km/h)

3. Jordi Alba (30km/h)

=1. Sergiño Dest (30.2km/h)

=1. Ousmane Dembele (30.2km/h)

That means Vinicius is the quickest player from either side, followed by Eder Militao, Ousmane Dembele, Sergiño Dest and Ferland Mendy. Overall, the combined list looks like this: 

20. Sergio Busquets (26.5km/h)
19. Toni Kroos (26.9km/h)
18. Casemiro (27.1km/h)
17. Lionel Messi (27.4km/h)
16. Pedri (27.7km/h)
15. Luka Modric (27.8km/h)
14 Antoine Griezmann (28km/h)
13. Frenkie de Jong (28.1km/h)
12. Nacho (28.5km/h)
11. Clement Lenglet (28.7km/h)
10. Karim Benzema (29km/h)
9. Lucas Vazquez (29.3km/h)
8. Óscar Mingueza (29.6km/h)
7. Marco Asensio (29.7km/h)
6. Jordi Alba (30km/h)
=3. Ferland Mendy (30.2km/h)
=3. Ousmane Dembele (30.2km/h)
=3. Sergiño Dest (30.2km/h)
2. Eder Militao (30.4km/h)
1. Vinicius Junior (30.6km/h)

El Clasico won't be settled by pace alone, but it could be one of the most entertaining face-offs in years with the stakes so high.