Barcelona has been the top team in La Liga this season, currently leading the table with Real Madrid trailing by three points. Although Real hasn’t hit peak form early in the 2024-25 season, they remain unbeaten in La Liga, securing seven wins and three draws in their 10 games to collect 24 points.
A loss on Saturday could widen the gap, but Real Madrid can look to recent successes for motivation; they've won their last four meetings with Barcelona across all competitions and pulled off a league double over them last season.
Real Madrid enters this game off the back of a 2-1 league win over Celta Vigo last weekend and a thrilling 5-2 comeback against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League. Integrating Kylian Mbappe into the squad has come with some challenges, and Jude Bellingham’s numbers are a bit down from last season, but a win on Saturday would put them level on points with Barcelona.
For Barcelona, it’s been a fantastic start under new coach Hansi Flick, despite the team dealing with multiple injuries. They’ve won nine of their 10 league matches, collecting 27 points and leading La Liga in scoring with an impressive 33 goals. Barcelona is on a strong run with four consecutive wins, including a recent 5-1 victory over Sevilla in La Liga and a 4-1 Champions League statement win against Bayern Munich, where Raphinha scored a hat trick.
A win over Real Madrid this weekend would solidify Barcelona’s place at the top, giving them a six-point lead, a significant cushion this early in the season. After El Clasico, both teams have a packed schedule leading up to the international break, with Real Madrid facing Valencia, Osasuna, and AC Milan in the Champions League, while Barcelona takes on Espanyol, Real Sociedad, and Red Star Belgrade in their European campaign.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Real Madrid has taken a double hit on the injury front, with Thibaut Courtois and Rodrygo both sidelined for the next two to three weeks following injuries against Bayern.Andriy Lunin is expected to start in goal, while Rodrygo’s absence may prompt a formation shift, with Jude Bellingham likely playing behind a front two of Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe. Bellingham is yet to score this season, but Vinicius now has eight goals after his recent hat-trick against Dortmund, and Mbappe has tallied eight in 13 matches.
Brahim Diaz is back in the squad and could be a valuable second-half substitute, though David Alaba and Dani Carvajal will be out along with Courtois and Rodrygo.
On Barcelona's side, Frenkie de Jong, Dani Olmo, and Gavi have all returned to fitness but might start on the bench. Manager Hansi Flick has praised Marc Casado for his performances, and he’s likely to partner with Pedri in midfield. Fermin Lopez, who assisted twice against Bayern, is expected to play as the number 10.
Barcelona will be without Ronald Araujo, Ferran Torres, Andreas Christensen, Marc Bernal, and Marc-Andre ter Stegen due to injuries, though Eric Garcia could return. Up front, Robert Lewandowski continues his outstanding form, scoring 15 goals in 13 appearances across all competitions, including 12 goals in 10 La Liga matches.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Real Madrid possible starting lineup:Lunin; Vazquez, Militao, Rudiger, Mendy; Valverde, Tchouameni, Camavinga; Bellingham; Vinicius, Mbappe
Barcelona possible starting lineup:
Pena; Kounde, Cubarsi, I Martinez, Balde; Casado, Pedri; Yamal, Fermin, Raphinha; Lewandowski
EXPERT PREDICTION
Real Madrid 1-1 Barcelona
There hasn’t been a draw between Real Madrid and Barcelona in La Liga since December 2019, and the last time they ended level at the Bernabeu was way back in 2011. This weekend, however, it feels like it could go either way, and we might just see the points split in what promises to be a thrilling El Clasico.
