The World’s Biggest Rivalry Renewed: Real Madrid vs Barcelona in a Fiery “Clásico”

The most powerful showdown in world football returns on Sunday afternoon as Spanish champions Barcelona face bitter rivals and current league leaders Real Madrid in “El Clásico,” hosted at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in the Spanish capital.

This “Clásico” looks set to be a stage for settling scores, especially amid the ongoing war of words between the two clubs and their stars. The latest spark came from Barcelona’s young talent Lamine Yamal, who said yesterday in an interview that “Madrid steals and then complains.”

A statement that will undoubtedly stoke the fire even further, given the already simmering Madridistas who want revenge for Barcelona’s dominance in all their encounters last season. The Catalans beat Los Blancos in the league, and once each in the Copa del Rey and the Supercopa, on their way to completing a domestic treble.

Adding to Real’s motivation for victory is the chance to go 5 points clear of their rivals with a win.

The opportunity looks favorable for Real Madrid to exact revenge, especially given Barcelona’s struggles in defense this season, having conceded 10 goals in 9 matches. That number is likely to rise with French striker Kylian Mbappé leading the attack, a player who has made a habit of punishing Barça’s backline.

Barcelona will be without their German coach Hansi Flick, who will watch from the stands after being sent off in the previous match. They will also miss Gavi, Dani Olmo, goalkeeper Joan García, and Polish striker Robert Lewandowski due to injury, while doubts remain over the availability of Raphinha, Jules Koundé, and Ferran Torres.

The two sides have met in 261 official “Clásico” matches across competitions, with Real Madrid winning 105, Barcelona 104, and 52 ending in draws.

Here are the key stats to help you predict the correct outcome and win valuable prizes with Betway:

• Real Madrid have won 7 of their last 11 LaLiga matches against Barcelona (L4) – the same number of victories they managed in their previous 29 league Clásicos (W7 D7 L15).
• Barcelona have won their last 4 matches against Real Madrid in all competitions and could make it 5 in a row for only the second time in Clásico history, after the streak achieved under Pep Guardiola between 2008 and 2010.
• None of the last 11 LaLiga Clásicos have ended in a draw (7 wins for Real Madrid, 4 for Barcelona), the longest run of matches without a draw in the fixture since 18 consecutive games between 1977 and 1986 (10 wins for Real, 8 for Barça).
• Real Madrid have won their last 8 home matches in LaLiga. They have not gone 9 or more in a row at home since February 2015 (9 straight wins) under Carlo Ancelotti.
• Barcelona lost their last away league game 4-1 to Sevilla, after avoiding defeat in 15 previous road matches (W11 D4). They have not lost back-to-back away games in LaLiga since April 2024.
• Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappé has scored 11 goals in 8 matches against Barcelona in all competitions – his highest tally against any non-French club in his career.

When the world stops for El Clásico, there’s only one place to make your predictions count — Betway, the most trusted and exciting online betting site in Egypt.