Real Madrid - Barcelona: Barca is 'very weak', it’s Real’s time

26/10/2025 08:20:00 GoalGuru

The first El Clasico between Real Madrid and Barcelona is crucial considering the situations both teams have faced since the start of the season.

Even a victory in the biggest match might not solve all their problems. However, it will boost the confidence of both sides to build on positive aspects and start accelerating their title race ambitions.

Which Barca are we talking about?

"There will be another Lamine Yamal in the Clasico," said coach Hansi Flick. This also summarizes the challenges the defending champions have failed to address since last season: reliance on the brilliance of the 18-year-old prodigy in major games.

He embodies the essence of the Catalan team's style: speed, technique, and explosiveness. The talent of the number 10 combined with superior tactical and systematic elements compared to before has turned Barcelona into a dynamite on the pitch.

According to data, his attacking efficiency has dropped significantly. Out of 26 shots, he has an expected goals (xG) of only 1.81, scoring 2 goals, one of which was a penalty. Yamal’s decline has negatively affected the team.

Poor decision-making and increasing tactical imbalances have impacted the collective structure. On the other hand, Flick’s team no longer holds secrets when facing Real Madrid. All their best qualities were revealed last season, a time when freshness, peak fitness, and hunger for victory all peaked simultaneously.

Opponents were caught off guard by a high-pressing team using offside traps as leverage to achieve the best results and create emotionally charged, high-scoring, and dramatic matches.

Currently, Barcelona is stuck, slow in transitioning, lacking creativity in attack as stars lose form, often making defensive mistakes and easily beaten by fast, tight, aggressive opponents who exploit their gaps. Moreover, they lack a reliable striker like Mbappe to solve their current difficulties.

Real Madrid (in white) is currently performing better than Barca.

The focus of the Catalan team’s play was suddenly disrupted due to the decline and disconnection of their attacking stars, while defenders struggle to maintain concentration and flawlessly execute the German coach’s tactics.

Midfielders like Pedri, De Jong, and Casado have become supports but cannot solve all the team’s problems in both attack and defense. The breakdown in the system has put the champions in an unstable position during the Clasico, and only luck saved them from defeat at Bernabeu.

Real’s cautious approach

Real Madrid does not have a perfect playing structure and relies entirely on Kylian Mbappe. But this will be dangerous for Barcelona because their playstyle depends on quick positional changes, short ball rotations, and maintaining balance between defense and attack.

These factors contrast with the Catalan team’s operation. The Galaxy’s matches are sometimes harsh due to tactical constraints imposed by coach Xabi Alonso and can even be predictable, based on the close coordination between Mbappe and Guler. Meanwhile, Vinicius is used as a decoy and Jude Bellingham is required to play in his proper position.

The French striker leads the team and shines consistently, but behind his goals is the fact that coach Xabi Alonso must use the whole system to “serve” the number 10. This limits creativity and the level of “destruction” Real can impose on opponents.

Mbappe’s goals reflect Real Madrid’s efficiency. However, the numbers do not fully dominate the capital club’s style. For example, only 10.5% of their 76 shots in the Champions League have resulted in goals, which is very low. Five out of eight goals were scored against Kairat Almaty, all by the number 10. That means from the remaining 56 shots, they only scored 3 goals, a 5% conversion rate.

Barcelona is weakened, but Xabi still wants to protect Thibaut Courtois’ goal, as defensive mistakes still appear like a “residual effect” from Ancelotti’s era. This caution was reinforced by a heavy defeat in the Madrid derby.

The 43-year-old coach even focuses only on analyzing and finding tactical weaknesses in the opponent, specifically Lamine Yamal’s defensive ability. The prodigy’s lack of marking and constant pressing leaves Barca’s left side exposed, creating gaps for opposing wingers that Real can exploit. Overall, this match is an opportunity for the Galaxy to “cleanse their reputation” after consecutive defeats last season.

Thien Y

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