Real Madrid vs Barcelona Preview & Prediction | 2024-25 Spanish Primera
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Saturday sees the first instalment of El Clasico for the 2024/25 campaign. One of, if not the, biggest game on the planet and it is also one that is really well set up at the moment for La Liga’s title race.
KICK-OFF DATE/TIME: Saturday 26th October, 2024 - UK – 8:00pm / US ET – 3:00pm / US PT – 12:00pm
HOW TO WATCH ON TV: UK – Premier Sports / US – ESPN have the exclusive rights to La Liga games in the USA, so Real Madrid vs Barcelona may be televised on one of their affiliated channels
HOW TO WATCH ONLINE: UK – Premier Sports / US – ESPN+
REAL MADRID PREVIEW: LOS BLANCOS FINDING A WAY
Carlo Ancelotti is known as the arch pragmatist with extremely impressive tactical flexibility and the Italian has had to be so again this year to get the best out of Kylian Mbappe, who wants to occupy the same spots on the pitch as the likes of Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior. They have enjoyed a strong but fairly bizarre start to this season.
The overwhelming majority of Madrid’s goals so far have come in the second-half with Los Blancos taking their reputation for late wins and turnarounds to the extreme this season, as shown by the fact they came from 2-0 down at half-time to defeat Borussia Dortmund by five goals to two in the Bernabeu in the UEFA Champions League in midweek.
BARCELONA PREVIEW: BRILLIANT BLAUGRANA
Hansi Flick was the controversial appointment of Barcelona over the summer to replace club legend Xavi and it has been an utterly magnificent start to the season for the former Bayern Munich and Germany boss with the Blaugrana sitting at the top-of-the-table in La Liga with nine victories and one defeat in their opening ten matches so far this season.
The Catalans come into this one on the back of a 4-1 hammering of Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League in midweek with Raphinha scoring an excellent hat-trick to cap a brilliant display. That victory against the Bundesliga league leaders means they have now scored 43 goals in 13 matches across all competitions.
REAL MADRID TEAM NEWS: COURTOIS DOUBT
Thibaut Courtois has suffered another injury and whilst not yet entirely ruled out of the Clasico, it is extremely unlikely that the Belgian goalkeeper starts for Madrid this weekend.
Rodrygo has also joined Madrid’s injury list with a muscle injury. He joins club captain Dani Carvajal and Brahim Diaz on the sidelines with David Alaba still regaining fitness, too.
PREDICTED XI (4-1-2-1-2): Lunin; Militao, Tchouameni, Rudiger, Mendy; Modric; Fede Valverde, Camavinga; Bellingham; Vinicius Junior, Mbappe
UNAVAILABLE: Alaba (Fitness), Dani Carvajal (Injured), Brahim Diaz (Injured), Rodrygo (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE: Courtois (Injured)
BARCELONA TEAM NEWS: AN OVERBOOKING
The Spanish would suggest Barcelona now have an ‘overbooking’ in midfield with Flick blessed with several players returning to full fitness such as Fermin Lopez, Frenkie de Jong and Gavi.
They are continuing to pick Inaki Pena ahead of Wojciech Szczesny following the season-ending injury suffered by Marc-Andre ter Stegen against Villarreal last month.
PREDICTED XI (4-2-3-1): Inaki Pena; Kounde, Pau Cubarsi, Inigo Martinez, Alex Balde; Marc Casado, Pedri; Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Raphinha; Lewandowski
UNAVAILABLE: Ter Stegen (Injured), Christensen (Injured), Ronald Araujo (Injured), Eric Garcia (Injured), Marc Bernal (Injured), Ferran Torres (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE:
REAL MADRID VS BARCELONA PREDICTION
Real Madrid have often got results that they have perhaps not exactly deserved based on their performance level. They have been getting results this season despite a lack of control and cohesion at either end of the pitch with no team yet to really punish them bar Lille. They have been able to stay in games and eventually come out on top but the intensity and efficiency of this current Barcelona side, brimming with confidence, would suggest a team that can take the game away from Madrid. It could well be really good value to side with Barca – and potentially comfortably at the Bernabeu.
REAL MADRID VS BARCELONA TIP: BARCELONA TO WIN -1 HANDICAP
