Gary Lineker has lent his support to his former club Barcelona, adding that El Clasico transcends football in Spain.

Lineker's stint with Barcelona in the late 1980s was a resounding success, as the striker scored 43 goals in 103 La Liga matches for La Blaugrana, including a hat-trick in his first derby against Madrid, a 3-2 win for Barca.

"I have good memories of the matches I played against Real Madrid, especially the first time at Camp Nou because I scored a hat-trick with two goals in the first five minutes of the game," he told AS.

"It's amazing to see 120,000 fans cheering. It's more than just a football match and cannot be compared with any other game. There is still a feeling of Franco's oppression on the Catalans, who once felt that the only place where they could safely speak Catalan was in the stadium.

"These are two of the largest and most successful teams in football and it's a pleasure to see them play. I have always supported Barcelona, especially against Real Madrid, so I hope they win."