El Clásico is unlikely to ever fade from global relevance, but there’s no denying that one of Europe’s most illustrious fixtures has lost a bit of sparkle over the past decade.

This was once the pinnacle of the sport. The soccer world stopped when Barcelona and Real Madrid locked horns, and Pep Guardiola and José Mourinho paraded their respective dugouts.

Well, Mourinho is back, folks, and preparing himself for his first Clásico since 2013. His relationship with Barça dates back to his time as Sir Bobby Robson’s translator/assistant in the mid-90s, and the resentment that washed over him after the club he once adored opted to hire Guardiola as Frank Rijkaard’s assistant in 2008 has struggled to fade.

He was Barça’s arch-nemesis for a period, and he eventually broke Guardiola’s outstanding team, not to mention his Spanish counterpart on the touchline. However, Hansi Flick’s current Blaugrana are on track to smash the records set by Mourinho’s Madrid in 2011–12.

Sunday’s hosts head into the Clásico six points clear of the visitors and are threatening to run away with the division for a third successive year. Camp Nou was the site of Mourinho’s “most beautiful defeat,” but he can’t afford a loss of any kind this weekend. A nine-point deficit to this Barcelona team would feel unassailable, even at this early juncture and with the swathe of superstars Los Blancos possess.

Barcelona vs. Real Madrid Score Prediction

Madrid Battle for Point

Barcelona have won six of the previous seven meetings against their Clásico rivals, including two of the three duels last season. Flick has generally had a hold over Real Madrid, but the return of Mourinho adds an extra layer of intrigue and potential scope for the unexpected.

Mourinho has locked horns with Flick just once in his managerial career, with his Tottenham Hotspur team losing 3–1 at Bayern Munich in 2019. Flick’s Bayern would go on to conquer all that season.

There‘s a sense that Madrid remain somewhat unsophisticated, certainly relative to Barça, but a Mourinho-led team in 2026 doesn’t require tactical perfection. It looks like the returning manager is going down the Carlo Ancelotti route, taking a more laissez-faire approach and ensuring his team has the right balance. They’ve been good over the past week, albeit against opponents incomparable to their upcoming test.

Barcelona are outstanding, but if Madrid click in Catalonia, we could be in for something special.

• Vibe check: It had all been a little bit too easy for Barcelona at the start of the 2026–27 season. However, they were put in check by Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday, and are in need of producing their first response of the campaign. Despite their dominance, there’s just a minor sense of tension brewing, with João Cancelo not taking too kindly to supporter criticism for his performance in Paris. On the contrary, Madrid may be six points worse off than Sunday’s hosts, yet Spanish media has waxed lyrical over the harmony Mourinho has developed in the capital. The players have taken to him, and if he’s got them onside, they’ll do everything they can to ensure a Clásico victory is secured.
• Barcelona’s home form: The hosts suffered a midweek blip, but that doesn’t detract from their dominance at the start of the season, especially on home soil. In fact, since returning to Camp Nou last season, Barça have won all 18 La Liga matches and scored 58 goals in the process. Fortress.
• Superstars on show: This fixture will never match the heights of its early 2010s peak, even with one of its protagonists back on the touchline. Still, there will be quality in abundance on Sunday, and the stars tend to show up when the Clásico rolls around. Kylian Mbappé has 12 goals in as many games against Barcelona and has a Clásico hat trick to his name, while Raphinha has only scored more goals against Sevilla (nine) than Madrid (seven) in his senior career. Lamine Yamal has 20 goal contributions in just 12 games this season.

Prediction: Barcelona 2–2 Real Madrid

Barcelona Predicted Lineup vs. Real Madrid

There were a couple of notable injury casualties at Parc des Princes on Tuesday evening. Most notably, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia tore his ACL, but Barcelona were also struck by the bug. Dani Olmo sustained a groin injury that’ll keep him out for the next month.

The hosts at least have the opportunistic Fermín López to call upon in reserve.

Flick is also set to be without full backs Jules Koundé and Eric García, meaning João Cancelo and young Xavi Espart will likely retain their spots in defense. Espart was excellent in Paris, but Cancelo struggled.

Rodri played just 30 minutes in the week, with the Barcelona manager likely having an eye on this fixture. The Spaniard, preparing for his first taste of the Clásico, will start alongside Pedri in midfield.

Lamine Yamal and Raphinha are shoo-ins in attack, so Flick will have to decide between Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi down the left-hand side.

Barcelona Predicted Lineup vs. Real Madrid (4-2-3-1): J. García; Espart, Cubarsí, Martín, Cancelo; Rodri, Pedri; Yamal, Fermín, Gordon; Raphinha.

Real Madrid Predicted Lineup vs. Barcelona

Real Madrid are functioning just fine without Vinícius Júnior, who’s serving the second of his four-match ban on Sunday. The Brazilian was punished for pulling Nathan Saliba’s hair in Madrid’s 1–0 victory over Villarreal earlier this month and subsequently remonstrating with the referee.

The in-form Yan Diomande will start down the left in his absence, and Mourinho is poised to deploy a French midfield tandem comprising Aurélien Tchouaméni and Eduardo Camavinga. Federico Valverde will be shunted out to right back, and Arda Güler will operate freely from the right-side of midfield.

The visitors are missing Ferland Mendy, Raúl Asencio and Rodrygo due to injury.

Real Madrid Predicted Lineup vs. Barcelona (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Valverde, Konaté, Huijsen, Cucurella; Tchouaméni, Camavinga; Güler, Bellingham, Diomande; Mbappé.

What Time Does Barcelona vs. Real Madrid Kick Off?

• Location: Barcelona, Spain
• Stadium: Camp Nou
• Date: Sunday, Oct. 25
• Kickoff Time: 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. GMT
• Referee: Juan Martínez Munuera

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