Real Madrid vs Barcelona: What will Los Blancos do to break the curse?

The first El Clásico of the 2025/26 season will be held at Santiago Bernabeu, with Real Madrid welcoming their fierce rival Barcelona in La Liga's 10th round. Los Blancos must overcome a losing streak against their main adversary, having been defeated in the last five meetings.

• Match time: 5:15 AM on October 26, 2025.
• Venue:Bernabeu Stadium.
• Competition: Round 10 La Liga 2025/2026 season.
• Broadcast channel: SCTV22.

Preview of Real Madrid vs Barca

After an impressive start under new coach Xabi Alonso, Real Madrid is showing highly consistent form. The "White Eagles" have won every match except for a single slip-up against Atletico Madrid (2-5). However, they quickly bounced back with a series of convincing victories, highlighted by the outstanding performances of Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham.

Ahead of El Clásico, Real Madrid received good news as four key players—Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dani Carvajal, Dean Huijsen, and Dani Ceballos—have all returned to training. Although Antonio Rudiger is definitely out and David Alaba’s participation remains uncertain, coach Alonso still has nearly his strongest squad available.

According to Marca, Valverde may continue playing at right-back as Carvajal and Arnold have just recovered, while the central defense pairing will likely be Eder Militao and Huijsen. Up front, the trio of Mbappe, Vinicius, and Bellingham remains the host team's greatest hope.

In contrast, Barcelona faces a wave of injuries and illnesses spreading through the squad. According to Sport, Frenkie De Jong was unable to train on October 23 due to illness and had to leave the training center early. Earlier, center-back Andreas Christensen also suffered digestive issues and has not yet returned to full training.

Additionally, Barcelona’s injury list remains extensive, including Robert Lewandowski, Gavi, Dani Olmo, and goalkeeper Joan Garcia. Therefore, coach Hansi Flick is confronted with a difficult personnel dilemma ahead of their away trip to Bernabeu.

The disadvantage is further compounded as Hansi Flick might not be able to coach directly due to a suspension from a red card in the 2-1 win over Girona. Under these circumstances, key players like Pedri, Lamine Yamal, and Jules Kounde will have to shoulder significant responsibility on the road.

Real Madrid needs to break their poor run against Barca

Last season, Barcelona shocked by winning against Real Madrid five consecutive times across all competitions (including friendlies), covering the Spanish Super Cup and the Copa del Rey. However, this year’s scenario might differ as Real Madrid is in stable form and boasts a “superb” attack.

Expected lineups for Real Madrid vs Barcelona

• Real Madrid: Courtois;Valverde, Militao, Tchouameni, Carreras; Bellingham, Camavinga; Mastantuono, Guler, Vinicius Jr; Mbappe.
• Barcelona: Szczesny; Kounde, Cubarsi, Garcia, Balde; Casado, De Jong, Pedri; Yamal, Rashford, Lopez.

Prediction for Real Madrid vs Barcelona

El Clásico is always an unpredictable match where form and individual quality can decide the outcome. With home advantage and an almost full squad, Real Madrid is slightly favored, but Barcelona is never an easy opponent to overcome.

• Real Madrid 2-2 Barcelona

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