Real Madrid vs Barcelona: The battle of brilliance at the Bernabeu

The first tie of the 2024/25 El Clasico is here as Real Madrid and Barcelona clash in arguably the biggest game in club football at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Real Madrid welcomes their biggest rivals as they look forward to continuing their dominance over the Catalan side.

The Blaugrana haven’t won a competitive game against Madrid in almost 20 months. Their last win at the Bernabeu happened more than two and a half years ago.

Meanwhile, Barcelona under Hansi Flick is having a good run in the La Liga. They will be hoping to extend the run to cap a memorable week following their jinx-breaking victory over Bayern Munich.

Should Barca win the game at the Bernabeu, it will be a double streak for them, having overcome Bayern a few days ago.

The Catalans have beaten Madrid at their very worst, and the same has been true for Real many times. And while Barça proved against Bayern that their high-risk defensive style and offside trap can work against the very best attacking forces in Europe, they’re going to face a dangerous trio in Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe, and Vinicius Jr. that is faster than the Bayern side and more technical.

However, Flick has shown how technical he is as a manager, transforming the trio of Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, and Robert Lewandowski, alongside young and talented midfielders, to be the club’s nemesis.

Madrid also has shown how resilient they are, following their impressive comeback against Borussia Dortmund. The success of Bellingham and Vinicius at the Clasico, last season is not to be forgotten as Carlo Ancelotti’s boys will hope to continue their brilliance.

The defense breaking passes of Luka Modric is another factor to consider against Barcelona’s high-line defensive style. The fact that Mbappe will be featuring in his first Clasico game, makes this a fascinating encounter.

Howbeit, both teams are well-equipped, talented and fast, it would take a great deal of brilliance or a slip to decide the tie.

With three points separating both sides, Barcelona, who tops the league with 27 points, will hope to extend their lead with six points. Real Madrid will also look forward to tie on points with the Catalans.

Barcelona Outs & Doubts: Marc-André ter Stegen, Ronald Araujo, Ferran Torres, Andreas Christensen, Marc Bernal (out), Eric García (doubt)

Real Madrid Outs & Doubts: Thibaut Courtois, Dani Carvajal, David Alaba, Rodrygo (out)

POSSIBLE LINEUPS:

Barcelona (4-3-3): Pena; Kounde, Cubarsí, Inigo, Balde; Fermín, Casadó, Pedri; Yamal, Lewandowski, Raphinha

Real Madrid (4-3-1-2): Lunin; Militão, Tchouaméni, Rüdiger, Mendy; Valverde, Camavinga, Modric; Bellingham; Mbappé, Vinicius

PREDICTION:

Real Madrid 3-2 Barcelona