According to a report by Madrid Universal on Friday October 23, 2026, former Real Madrid midfielder Rafael van der Vaart has backed Los Blancos to beat Barcelona in Sunday's El Clásico, claiming José Mourinho's side have the advantage to punish the Catalans on the counter-attack.

Barcelona will host their bitter rivals at Spotify Camp Nou on October 25, hoping to extend their lead at the top of La Liga. Hansi Flick's side have won all nine of their league matches this season and currently sit six points ahead of third-placed Real Madrid.

Despite Barcelona's impressive domestic form, Van der Vaart believes Madrid have the quality to exploit their opponents' weaknesses, particularly when they lose possession.

“I expect Real Madrid to win the match,” the former Netherlands international told Winwin in an interview highlighted by Madrid Universal.

Van der Vaart also pointed to Madrid's mentality as a key difference between the two teams, praising the commitment of Mourinho's players.

“I think the big difference is that Real Madrid have become a winning machine,” he said. “The players fight for the manager and give their all on every inch of the pitch.”

Madrid head into the encounter in strong form, having won their last four matches in all competitions. Their recent run includes a 4-1 victory over RB Leipzig in the Champions League, while they have won all three of their league-phase matches in the competition.

Barcelona, meanwhile, suffered a 4-2 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Tuesday. However, Van der Vaart does not believe the setback will have a significant impact on their performance against Madrid.

“No, I don't think the defeat against Paris Saint-Germain will affect Barcelona,” he said.

Madrid will be without Vinícius Júnior, who is serving a four-match La Liga suspension following his red card against Villarreal. Despite the Brazilian's absence, Van der Vaart does not expect Mourinho to make major changes to the team that defeated Leipzig.

“No, I don't expect any surprises. I think he'll field practically the same team as against Leipzig, when they won at home,” he added.