It is time for the latest instalment of El Clasico as Barcelona look to maintain their unbeaten run against a high-flying Real Madrid.
Barcelona are all set to host Real Madrid for a high-voltage league fixture on Saturday. The reigning La Liga champions have got off to a dream start in the new season, and they will look to maintain it when they square up against Los Blancos. The visitors might not be unbeaten, but they have not had a bad start either.
Carlo Ancelotti’s men are top of the league and have a two-point advantage over third-placed Barcelona. This fixture might have a huge say in how things pan out from here on. And, all eyes will surely be one of the biggest rivalries in world football.
Xavi’s Barcelona have accumulated 24 points in their ten league outings. They have won seven and played out a draw in three outings. Overall, they have won ten out of their 13 outings without suffering a defeat. It has been an incredible start given the fact that they have suffered a lot of injuries from the start.
Despite all the injuries, Xavi’s team have managed to get a positive result on most occasions. They are heading into the El Clasico on the back of a 2-1 win over Shakhtar Donetsk. It was not the best of performances, but they managed to get the desired results. They will be hopeful of a better outing against the league leaders.
Real Madrid have accumulated 25 points from their ten league outings. They have won eight of those outings and lost once. Their only defeat in the season came against their city rivals Atletico Madrid, and they will give it their all to ensure they do not end up losing to their arch-rivals Barcelona.
In all competitions, they have won 11 out of their 13 outings. Apart from the defeat against Diego Simeone’s men, everything has gone just right for the team in white. They are heading into this big away fixture on the back of a 2-1 win over SC Braga. It was not their best performance, but they did manage to come out on top, which has been the story so far this season.
But, they will hope that they put in a better overall performance against Barcelona or else they might be at the receiving end of a thrashing. Both teams are in red-hot form and this is going to go down to the wire. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both squads and tries to predict the tactics and personnel they might use for this fixture.
Team News & Tactics
Barcelona
Xavi Hernandez will surely be without the services of Sergi Roberto, Jules Kounde and Pedri. Raphinha is expected to be back in the squad for this outing but the participation of Frenkie de Jong and Robert Lewandowski is still doubtful.
Gavi scoring 🔥
Gavi scoring in El Clásico 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/uCkzrS9SpC— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) October 27, 2023
Barcelona are expected to go ahead with the 4-3-3 formation, and Marc-Andre ter Stegen will continue in goal. The biggest dilemma for Xavi will be on the right-back position. He has been using Ronald Araujo as a right-back in recent Clasicos to keep Vinicius Junior in check.
So, he will have to choose between starting Joao Cancelo who, an attacking option, and Araujo, who is more defensive in nature. In the end, the Spanish manager might stick with Cancelo as the right-back because his attacking contributions could be of great use. And, Araujo could feature as the right centre-back.
Inigo Martinez could be the other centre-back. and Alejandro Balde will continue as the left-back. In the centre of the park, Oriol Romeu will take care of the defensive side of things, while Ilkay Gundogon and Gavi will be present in support.
Lamine Yamal and Joao Felix will feature on the flanks. They will look to provide the width of their attacks and cut inside when possible. Ferran Torres will be leading the line. Even if Lewandowski is fit enough to make it into the squad, he is unlikely to start.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): ter Stegen; Cancelo, Araujo, Martinez, Balde; Gavi, Romeu, Gundogan; Yamal, Torres, Felix
Real Madrid
Carlo Ancelotti’s team will be without the services of Eder Militao, Thibaut Courtois and Dani Ceballos. Meanwhile, Arda Guler is back in training, but he is unlikely to start. At best, the Turkish sensation could have a role on the bench.
☕ Good morning, #Madridistas! pic.twitter.com/NnC1vgfKxa
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) October 27, 2023
The visitors will most likely stick to the 4-4-2 formation, with a diamond in the centre of the park. Kepa Arrizabalaga will continue in goal. Ancelotti will surely think about starting Eduardo Camavinga as the left-back. but he still might go ahead with their first-choice full-back Ferland Mendy.
Dani Carvajal will continue on the right flank, while at the heart of the defence, David Alaba will pair up with Antonio Rudiger. The biggest question for the Italian manager will be whether to start both Luka Modric and Toni Kroos in the centre of the park. He started both in the match against Atletico Madrid, and things did not go according to plan.
As a result, he might not start either of them this time around. But, both will most likely play a part off the bench Arsenal target Aurelien Tchouameni will be the defensive midfielder. Camavinga and Federico Valverde will be in support. And, the high-flying Jude Bellingham will continue as the attacking midfielder behind the attacking duo of Rodrygo Goes and Vinicius Junior.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Kepa; Carvajal, Rudiger, Alaba, Mendy; Valverde, Tchouameni, Camavinga; Bellingham; Rodrygo, Vinicius
Key Stats
- Barcelona are the only unbeaten team in the league.
- Real Madrid have the best defence in the Spanish top flight having conceded just seven goals so far.
- Jude Bellingham is the top scorer of the league with eight goals to his name.
- Los Blancos have won 101 El Clasicos, while the Catalan giants have won 100 El Clasicos out of the 253 encounters between the two.
- Barcelona have won 63 El Clasicos at home.
Player to Watch
Federico Valverde
Valverde might not get the limelight at Real Madrid because of the stars in and around him. But, he is amongst the best players in that setup, and when the big games come in, the 25-year-old is the one who steps up and delivers.
He has done it for Los Blancos in the past, and Carlo Ancelotti will expect him to be a threat from the right side. While he might feature as a central midfielder, Valverde will have the license to join the attack when needed.
Prediction
Barcelona 2-2 Real Madrid
Both teams have been in incredible form in the ongoing season. Barcelona are third in the league, and they have not lost a match in all competitions in the ongoing season. Meanwhile, Real Madrid are table toppers and have only lost one match in the 2023/24 season.
Los Blancos have won the majority of their matches and will go into this fixture expecting to take away all three points. But it won’t be an easy task. Given the current form of both teams, it is very difficult to separate them, as a result, The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-2 draw in the first El Clasico of the season.
Barça will win three goals to one against Madrid