Barcelona are preparing for one of the most significant fixtures of their season, with their next meeting against Real Madrid carrying consequences beyond the battle for La Liga points.

The Catalans head into the showdown after suffering a damaging 4-2 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.

Hansi Flick’s side must now regroup quickly before travelling into an atmosphere where every mistake is likely to be magnified.

However, the rivalry between Spanish football’s two biggest clubs extends far beyond what happens on the pitch.

The long-running Negreira Case remains a source of tension between the two sides, with Real Madrid continuing to push for further scrutiny of their domestic rivals.

The dispute has also reached the European stage, with UEFA now assessing additional material submitted by the Madrid club.

Real Madrid supporters made their feelings about Barcelona unmistakably clear on Wednesday night, unveiling a banner reading ‘No impunity for Negreira’ during their Champions League meeting with RB Leipzig.

The message appeared in English at the Santiago Bernabeu, with the home crowd using the European occasion to bring renewed attention to the controversy ahead of Sunday’s Clasico.

According to reports from AS, the banner was accompanied by chants directed at Barcelona president Joan Laporta, La Liga president Javier Tebas and Spanish football’s governing structures. T

he protest lasted approximately five minutes before the banner was removed around the time Arda Guler scored Madrid’s second goal in their eventual 4-1 victory.

The demonstration followed a fresh development in the case earlier this month, when Real Madrid submitted a substantial collection of documents to UEFA.

European football’s governing body confirmed that its ethics and disciplinary inspectors had received the material and would assess it as part of the investigation already under way.

Barcelona, however, have challenged suggestions that UEFA has reopened proceedings against the club.

In an official statement on 1 October, the Catalans insisted the investigation had remained ongoing since 2023 and said no new proceedings had been launched.

The club also maintained that it had complied with UEFA’s requests and continued to participate in European competitions without objection.

With the latest protest adding another layer to an already heated rivalry, the spotlight will now turn to Sunday’s Clasico.