El Clasico is finally back! For the first time this season, Real Madrid and Barcelona will face off, with Los Blancos welcoming their biggest rivals to the Santiago Bernabeu this Sunday in what should be a thrilling showdown.
Ancelotti's men head into this clash with confidence, and this isn't simply due to the home advantage. Playing in front of a packed Bernabeu is a daunting task for any visiting team, even one as great as the Catalan giants, but there are more reasons to back Los Merengues this weekend.
The reigning Spanish champions enter this clash on the back of their UEFA Champions League encounter with Shakhtar Donetsk, and while that match ended in a 1-1 draw, with Real Madrid scoring in stoppage time to rescue a point, it was enough to secure their ticket in the round of 16.
Antonio Rudiger scored that crucial equalizer, but suffered a nasty head injury along the way, to earn progression for Real Madrid. This means that, unlike Barcelona, Ancelotti's men can put their European worries aside for the meanwhile in order to focus on La Liga.
Real Madrid currently trail their bitter rivals but this is merely due to goal difference, as the two Spanish giants are tied on 22 points each. This means victory on Sunday would see them move three points clear at the top while ending Barcelona's brilliant unbeaten start to the Spanish top-flight campaign.
Benzema and Co. have not been at their best lately, with the Madrid giants scoring only once in three out of their last four fixtures, including a 1-1 draw with 10-man Osasuna earlier this month. That result ended Los Blancos' perfect start to the season and saw the Blaugrana go ahead in the standings. Sunday will give Real Madrid the opportunity to rectify this.
However, given the domestic form of Xavi's men, the Blaugrana will not let this happen easily. As mentioned earlier, the Catalan giants sit top of the table and while they have identical points with their Clasico rivals, Lewandowski and Co. blow their opponents out of the water in other metrics.
First of all, the visitors boast the best attack in the league, scoring a whopping 20 times so far. This is understandable given the presence of Lewandowski, Raphinha, Dembele, Fati, and Depay, just to mention a few. However, Los Blancos are only one behind, scoring 19 goals themselves.
However, where Barcelona far outclass Los Merengues is defensively, with Xavi's men conceding only one goal so far this entire La Liga season. The sole goal was conceded in their 4-1 victory over Real Sociedad, with Alexander Isak netting that effort prior to leaving La Real for Premier League outfit Newcastle.
Unfortunately, the Blaugrana are short on center-backs due to an unfortunate injury crisis at the back. Both Christensen and Araujo are out while mega summer signing Jules Kounde is a doubt, leaving the manager short on options.
Additionally, their UEFA Champions League form will be weighing heavily on their minds. Barcelona recently drew 3-3 at home to Inter Milan, meaning the Nerazzurri are one victory away from eliminating Lewandowski and Co. from the competition in the group stage. Demotion to the UEFA Europa League for a second year running would be embarrassing, but the focus for now solely lies in El Clasico.
Team news
Real Madrid: The biggest concern for the home side is the absence of Thibaut Courtois as the Belgian keeper has failed to overcome his back injury. Despite his nasty head injury, Antonio Rudiger is expected to be fit for this tie but whether the German starts ahead of Eder Militao is a different question. Dani Ceballos, meanwhile, is also on the sidelines.
Barcelona: Jules Kounde could return in time for this fixture but whether the Frenchman will be fully fit remains unclear. However, Memphis Depay, Hector Bellerin, Ronald Araujo, and Andreas Christensen all remain on the treatment table. Elsewhere, Ansu Fati could return to the lineup in favor of Raphinha while Frenkie de Jong will be hopeful for some minutes on the pitch.
Key stats
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Real Madrid have won five of the last six editions of El Clasico.
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The last time these two Spanish giants met, Barcelona won by a whopping 4-0 victory.
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The Blaugrana look to secure back-to-back victories over Los Blancos for the first time since 2019.
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No player has scored more goals in La Liga this season than Robert Lewandowski (9).
Broadcast listings
Match details, result and original broadcast info
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Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
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