Real Madrid Aims for Redemption Against Barcelona in First Clásico

BARCELONA, Spain — Real Madrid hosts FC Barcelona on Sunday in a highly anticipated Clásico, seeking to avenge last season’s four-game loss to their rivals.

Kylian Mbappé, who has excelled this season, leads La Liga with 10 goals in just nine matches. He also netted five goals in the Champions League over the campaign’s first two months.

Barcelona arrives at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium burdened by injuries, with coach Hansi Flick set to watch from the stands after receiving a red card for protests in the previous match. The young star Lamine Yamal is expected to start for the visitors, having appeared in two matches since an injury layoff. However, they will be without top scorer Robert Lewandowski due to a thigh injury, and Raphinha‘s participation remains uncertain.

This first Clásico of the season carries significant weight, as Barcelona swept last season’s series, winning all four encounters with a combined score of 16-7. They began this dominance with a 4-0 victory in Madrid during La Liga.

“Last year went well. The teams have evolved, but if we touch a few things, we can improve,” said Barcelona central defender Pau Cubarsí.

Real Madrid recently secured a narrow 1-0 win over Juventus in the Champions League, courtesy of Jude Bellingham’s goal. Yet, they suffered a shocking 5-0 defeat to Atlético Madrid last month.

In contrast, Barcelona heads into the match with confidence after a 6-1 triumph over Olympiakos, featuring a hat-trick from Fermín López and two goals from Marcus Rashford.

Currently, Real Madrid leads La Liga, sitting two points above defending champions Barcelona. “Both teams are in good form, so it’s going to be a great match,” remarked Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. “After losing several games to them last year, we believe we can win this time and open a gap.”

Villarreal and Atlético Madrid, who are positioned third and fourth respectively, hope to close the gap at the top of the table. Villarreal visits Valencia on Saturday, while Atlético travels to face fifth-placed Real Betis on Monday.

In addition to Lewandowski, Barcelona will also miss midfielder Dani Olmo and goalkeeper Joan García due to injuries. Wojciech Szczęsny will take over in goal. Flick expressed hopes that Raphinha could recover in time for the match. Ferran Torres was available for Barcelona’s match against Olympiakos but did not play after suffering a minor leg issue.

The Clásico comes at a time when La Liga is facing disappointment over plans that collapsed to hold a regular season match between Barcelona and Villarreal in Miami this December.