Real Madrid vs Barcelona kicks off at 20:00 [GMT+1] on Saturday, October 26, at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Real Madrid and Barcelona come into the first El Clásico of the season at the top of La Liga, with Barcelona three points clear.
Real, fresh from a thrilling 5-2 comeback win against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League, must channel that momentum as they aim to close the gap and potentially match Barcelona’s record of 43 La Liga games unbeaten.
Key Players Missing for Madrid’s Home Advantage
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti, celebrating his 200th La Liga game with a recent 2-1 victory over Celta Vigo, now faces the daunting task of keeping their home unbeaten streak intact without key players Thibaut Courtois and Rodrygo.
Los Blancos have been solid at home, with 33 wins and seven draws since April 2023. Notably, Ancelotti’s El Clásico record (W9, L7) gives Real an edge, having won four of their last five home league encounters against Barcelona.
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Flick’s First El Clásico and Barcelona’s Formidable Attack
Hansi Flick, taking charge of Barcelona’s Clásico squad for the first time, brings a high-powered attack that has netted an average of 3.5 goals per game in their last four league away matches.
The Catalans’ form is boosted by the return of key players Gavi and Fermín López, who both starred in their 5-1 victory over Sevilla.
While Barcelona has fallen short in recent H2H encounters, they enter with an impressive 13 wins from their last 14 league games, and they’ll look to disrupt Madrid’s defensive form with their explosive offense.
Real Madrid vs Barcelona: Players to Watch and Noteworthy Stats
All eyes will be on Vinicius Jr following his spectacular second half Hat Trick against Borussia Dortmund.
For Barcelona, Fermín López’s playmaking is invaluable; his two assists against Bayern underscore his creative impact. Both players could play decisive roles as both sides look to capitalize early.
Hot Stat: Goals have come in both halves in 12 of the last 13 El Clásicos, with Real winning nine of those matchups, promising another action-packed clash.
Real Madrid vs Barcelona: Possible Line-ups
Real Madrid- Lunin, Militao, Tchouameni, Rudiger, Mendy, Valverde, Camavinga, Modric, Bellingham, Vinicius, Mbappe.
Barcelona- Pena, Balde, Martinez, Curbasi, Kounde, Pedri, Casado, Lopez, Yamal, Raphinha, Lewandowski.
Experts Prediction
The likely outcome for this mouthwatering fixture, according to in-depth analysis from our experts, is [both teams to score] or [first half over 0.5].
