It is almost time for the latest instalment of El Clasico as Real Madrid gear up to host arch-rivals Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday.
Both Real Madrid and Barcelona are heading into the first El Clasico of the 2024/25 season on the back of emphatic wins in the UEFA Champions League, and Saturday’s blockbuster clash promises to be a mouth-watering clash between the two table toppers.
Los Blancos are unbeaten in the league, and they are currently second with 24 points in their ten outings thanks to seven wins and three draws. The reigning La Liga champions have won each of their last three games across competitions, and they will be looking to make it four in a row.
Carlo Ancelotti’s team made a sensational comeback against Borussia Dortmund in their last outing. After being 2-0 down at the half-time, they scored five in the second half to claim all three points.
Real Madrid will go all out to ensure they get the better of rivals Barcelona, who are at the top of the table in La Liga with 27 points in their 10 outings thanks to nine wins and a defeat. The Catalan giants have won their last four outings across all competitions and they will look to add to it.
The Blaugrana are heading into this fixture on the back of a morale-boosting 4-1 win over Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League. Barcelona have often struggled to get the better of the German giants but having done it recently, Hansi Flick’s team will be confident of getting the right result against Real Madrid.
This match holds immense importance not just in the title race but also in the history books as Los Blancos have been unbeaten in their last 42 league games and they can equal Barcelona’s record of 43 with a win here. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Real Madrid
Carlo Ancelotti’s team suffered two massive blows ahead of the game against Barcelona as Rodrygo and Thibaut Courtois have picked up an injury. They have joined Dani Carvajal and David Alaba on the sidelines.
Real Madrid do have a boost as Brahim Diaz has recovered earlier than expected and should be a part of the squad for this outing. With Rodrygo unavailable, Ancelotti could shift to the 4-4-2 formation that did wonders for his team last season.
With Courtois out injured, Andriy Lunin will be in goal. Lucas Vazquez and Ferland Mendy will be the full-backs, while Antonio Rudiger should continue to partner Eder Militao in the heart of the defence. Ancelotti could think of using Militao as a right-back, but he is unlikely to take that big a gamble in this fixture.
Aurelien Tchouameni will be the defensive midfielder, while Federico Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga will be in his support. Jude Bellingham will take up the number ten role for this fixture. With Rodrygo unavailable, Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe will be the two leading the line for them.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Lunin; Vazquez, Militao, Rudiger, Mendy; Valverde, Tchouameni, Camavinga; Bellingham; Vinicius, Mbappe
Barcelona
The visitors will continue to be without the services of Ferran Torres, Marc Bernal, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Ronald Araujo, and Andreas Christensen. Eric Garcia should be back in the squad for this one.
While Frenkie de Jong, Dani Olmo and Gavi are all back fit, they are unlikely to start here. Hansi Flick will look to stick to what has been working for him so far which means Wojciech Szczssny will have to wait to get his first start for the team.
They will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Inaki Pena will be in goal. Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde will be the full-backs, while Inigo Martinez and Pau Cubarsi should continue to feature in the heart of the defence.
Marc Casado has been doing wonders for them in midfield, and he should start the Clasico alongside Pedri. They will look to shield the back line and provide a strong base to attack from. Lamine Yamal and Raphinha will feature on the flanks, while Fermin Lopez will be the attacking midfielder. Robert Lewandowski should continue to lead the line for the away team.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Pena; Kounde, Cubarsi, Inigo Martinez, Balde; Casado, Pedri; Yamal, Fermin, Raphinha; Lewandowski
Key Stats
- Barcelona have won each of their last four games in all competitions.
- Meanwhile, Real Madrid have won their last three games across competitions.
- Los Blancos have been unbeaten in the league this season.
- Carlo Ancelotti’s team can level the Catalan giants record of most games unbeaten in La Liga (43) with a win in the Clasico.
- Hansi Flick’s team have the best attack in the division having scored 33 goals in the 10 league outings.
Player to Watch
Vinicius Junior
Vinicius Junior bagged a hat-trick in the last game against Borussia Dortmund, and he will be hoping to replicate that form in this fixture against Barcelona. While Hansi Flick will have special plans in place to stop the Brazilian international, he is still expected to find a way out. He already has eight goals and seven assists in his 14 outings and would love to add to it against Barcelona.
Prediction
Real Madrid 2-2 Barcelona
Real Madrid did script an incredible comeback against Borussia Dortmund in their last outing. However, they have not been at their best this season. While they do end up getting the desired result in most cases, they need to be doing most things right to defeat Hansi Flick’s Barcelona, who have been on a roll this season.
The Blaugrana will be high on confidence following the win over Bayern Munich, and this promises to be an exciting clash. Given the kind of form both teams have been in, it will be hard to separate them and they might end up playing out a draw here. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-2 draw between the two giants.