Spanish football’s legendary rivalry takes centre stage once again this Sunday, as Real Madrid and Barcelona lock horns at the Santiago Bernabéu for the opening El Clásico of the 2025-26 campaign.
With the top of La Liga up for grabs, Real Madrid come into the blockbuster tie with 24 points, just a slender two points ahead of Barcelona, making this clash pivotal in the early battle for first place.
Real Madrid vs Barcelona – Predicted lineup and team news
Real Madrid Team News
Xabi Alonso receives a welcome lift ahead of this high-profile encounter, as defenders Dean Huijsen, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Dani Carvajal are all cleared to return following recent injuries. Huijsen’s calf issue has subsided, and Alexander-Arnold has made a faster-than-expected recovery—down to just five weeks out with his hamstring problem.
Alonso is expected to stick with Federico Valverde at right-back from the start, with Alexander-Arnold likely to be introduced later in the game.
Nevertheless, Los Blancos will still miss the services of Antonio Rudiger, who’s absent until December with a muscle injury, and David Alaba, sidelined due to a calf problem.
Madrid’s recent league form remains impressive; they top the table after nine matches, having secured victories over both Villarreal (3-1) and Getafe (1-0), and clinched a valuable 1-0 win against Juventus in the Champions League.
Real Madrid Predicted Lineup
Possible Real Madrid starting XI: Courtois; Valverde, Militao, Huijsen, Carreras; Tchouameni, Bellingham; Arda Guler, Mastantuono, Vinicius Jr; Mbappe.
When will the match kick off?
The match will kick off at 4:15pm BST on Sunday 16th October.
How to Watch Real Madrid vs Barcelona?
Fans in the United Kingdom can catch the drama live on Premier Sports 1.
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