Real Madrid will face their arch-enemies Barcelona Saturday at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in El Clasico, as part of the 11th round of La Liga.
Barcelona are top of the table with 27 points, three points ahead of Real Madrid, adding more fuel to the fire given the top of the table will be at stake.
Real Madrid go into the match in high spirits after a remarkable comeback against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League last week, turning a 2-0 deficit into a 5-2 victory. Madrid’s Italian coach, Carlo Ancelotti, is determined to secure a fourth consecutive win against Barcelona in all official competitions. Last season, Real Madrid won the first-round match 2-1, triumphed 4-1 in the Spanish Super Cup final, and then won the second-round league match 3-2.
However, Real Madrid will be missing goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who suffered a left leg injury during the Borussia Dortmund match, as well as injured Rodrygo, who is doubtful for the match. They join a list of absentees that includes Dani Carvajal and
David Alaba. Despite this, the team will rely on French star Kylian Mbappe, who will be playing his first Clasico after joining Real Madrid from Paris Saint-Germain last summer, along with Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior.
On the other side, Barcelona aims to continue their impressive form this season under coach Hansi Flick, who has led the team to 11 wins and just two losses in both La Liga and the Champions League.
Barcelona are also on fire having defeated Bayern 4-1 in the Champions League and the Derby simply couldn’t be set up any better with both sides in great form. Barcelona will rely on the stellar performances of all their players this season, particularly Polish striker Robert Lewandowski, who has been shining both domestically and in Europe, scoring three goals in the last two matches. They will also be boosted by the return of midfielder Gavi and the emerging star Lamine Yamal.
Source: Qatar News Agency