Football news - Security at all-time high as Barcelona welcome Real Madrid for rescheduled Clasico

The La Liga clash will take place at the Nou Camp more than seven weeks later than planned after unrest throughout Catalonia led to the postponement, with police and protesters clashing on the streets.

The clashes came after Spain’s High Court jailed nine Catalan separatist leaders for their role in an illegal referendum.

Going into Wednesday’s rescheduled tie, ESPN reports authorities are planning the biggest police operation ever seen for a Clasico.

More than 3,000 police officers and private security agents will be in place for the match, with Tsunami Democratic - a group advocating for a self-determination referendum in Catalonia – planning protests on Wednesday.

As a result, Real and Barca players will share a police escort from the same hotel to the Nou Camp around two hours before kick-off.

“I´m not worried about anything,” Real manager Zinedine Zidane told reporters on Tuesday.

“I’m just happy. All of us, not just me. We´re happy we can play such a game, a Clasico. I remember this as a player, this is the kind of game you live for. So right now we´re only focused on the pitch.

"We know our rival, they´re a very good team and they´ve been proving so for a long time now. We know the player they have, Messi, but we also have our weapons. All we want to do is play a great game against a good team like Barcelona, who are doing it very well too."

On the pitch, top spot in La Liga is at stake when Barcelona welcome Real for the first Clasico of the season.

The two sides are locked on 35 points after 16 games, and the victors will know they can open up a three-point gap at the top and also move seven points above third-placed Sevilla.

Barcelona beat Real 5-1 at the Nou Camp 12 months ago, and went on to win the reverse fixture at the Bernabeu 1-0 back in March.

That victory came after Barca also secured a 4-1 aggregate win over Real in the Copa del Rey final in February.