PREVIEW: Real Madrid v FC Barcelona

It’s El Clásico time! Real Madrid host FC Barcelona on Sunday at 9.00pm CET is the latest episode of the biggest game in club football.

The all-whites are currently riding high at the top of the Liga table, ten points clear of their closest challenger, Sevilla, and 15 ahead of third-placed Barça. But the distance between them and the Catalans is largely due to the latter’s disappointing start to the campaign. Under Xavi Hernández, Barça have strung together a run of 12 games without defeat, and the gap between them and Madrid is narrowing fast.

With just 11 games to go, it might be too late for Barça now. But a win at the Bernabéu would cut the gap to 12 points. And Barça still have a game in hand. It’s difficult but not impossible.

Head to Head

Until 2019, Barça were enjoying a fantastic run in El Clásico. They had gone for seven games against Madrid without a single defeat and achieved the unprecedented feat of winning four times in a row at the Santiago Bernabéu.

Since then, however, things have swung in the other direction. Barça have lost four consecutive Liga encounters against Real Madrid and were also defeated in the Spanish Super Cup semi-final in Saudi Arabia earlier this year.  

Last ten meetings
12/01/22 (SUPER CUP) Barça 2-3 Real Madrid
24/10/21 (LIGA) Barça 1-2 Real Madrid
10/04/21 (LIGA) Real Madrid 2-1 Barça
24/10/20 (LIGA) Barça 1-3 Real Madrid
01/03/20 (LIGA) Real Madrid 2-0 Barça
18/12/19 (LIGA) Barça 0-0 Real Madrid
02/03/19 (LIGA) Real Madrid 0-1 Barça
27/02/19 (COPA) Real Madrid 0-3 Barça
06/02/19 (COPA) Barça 1-1 Real Madrid
28/10/18 (LIGA) Barça 5-1 Real Madrid

Here's a look back at Clásicos in recent years through the expert eyes of Dani Alves:

Form guide

Barça might be unbeaten in La Liga since December 4, but in that time Madrid have only lose once, a 1-0 defeat at Getafe on January 2. They are unbeaten at the Bernabéu this season in the league, but Villarreal, Osasuna, Cádiz and Elche have all been able to draw there.

Madrid’s sole loss at home in 2021/22 was the shocker at home to Sheriff Tiraspol of Moldova, although they still managed to top their Champions League group and produced a spectacular comeback against Paris Saint Germain to earn a quarter final meeting with Chelsea.  

17/3/22 (EUROPA LEAGUE) Galatasaray 1-2 Barça
13/3/22 (LIGA) Barça 4-0 Osasuna
10/3/22 (EUROPA LEAGUE) Barça 0-0 Galatasaray
6/3/22 (LIGA) Elche 1-2 Barça
27/2/22 (LIGA) Barça 4-0 Athletic Club

13/3/22 (LIGA) Mallorca 0-3 Real Madrid
9/3/22 (UCL) Real Madrid 3-1 PSG
5/3/22 (LIGA) Real Madrid 4-1 Real Sociedad
26/2/22 (LIGA) Rayo Vallecano 0-1 Real Madrid
19/2/22 (LIGA) Real Madrid 3-0 Alavés

Goals at the Bernabéu

Hopefully we'll be able to add to this video following Sunday's game:

Happening elsewhere

Barça are five points behind second-placed Sevilla with a game in hand. The Andalusians are at home to Real Sociedad in the game immediately before El Clásico.

Should Barça fail to win at the Bernabéu, then it opens up a chance for Atlético Madrid and/or Real Betis to move ahead of them. Diego Simeone’s side are already in front on a temporary basis after winning 1-0 at Rayo Vallecano on Saturday, while Betis are at Celta Vigo in a Sunday 4.15pm CET kick-off.

Team news

Sergi Roberto (hamstring), Samuel Umtiti (fractured toe) and Ansu Fati (hamstring) continue to be side-lined, while right-back Sergiño Dest is a further casualty after picking up a hamstring injury against Galatasaray midweek. Gerard Piqué took a knock as well, but Xavi has confirmed that it is nothing serious and he can play. 

Meanwhile, Real Madrid are considerably weakened by the absence of the top goalscorer in La Liga this season, Karim Benzema. The Frenchman has netted 22 times in the domestic championship plus ten goals in other competitions, and also leads La Liga for assists (11), but a calf problem means he’ll have to sit this one out. His compatriot, defender, Ferland Mendy, is also unavailable with an adductor injury.

Xavi says

“Madrid are chameleonic. You don’t know if they’ll push forward or keep it tight as a unit. It’s hard to know what to expect. We just have to try to keep the ball and impose our ideas but we’ll need to be prepared for anything.”

"We competed against them in the Super Cup and could have won. Since losing to Bayern we have been getting better and more competitive with every game … I won’t make big changes for this game … I’m very clear about my plan, you’ll see tomorrow. But we have hardly had any time to train since Thursday.”

“If we win tomorrow, our chances of winning the league will still be remote but it will put us in a good position for the main target, which is being in the Champions League positions.”

"If Benzema isn’t the best centre forward in Europe, he is certainly one of them. His his absence doesn’t change our approach, but I imagine they will have to change something.”

"I know the results against Madrid haven’t been good recently and we want to change that. We view this as a good chance to do so. But Madrid are the league leaders and are playing at home, so they have to be the favourites.”

“We’re wearing the second strip for contractual reasons. Marketing is a part of football. We’ll wear the Catalans colours with pride.”

Did you know?

If he plays, Dani Alves will make his 400^th appearance for FC Barcelona.

If Sergio Busquets plays, it will be his 43^rd El Clásico. Only Leo Messi (45) has appeared in more wearing the Barça jersey.

Xavi Hernández could become only the second Barça coach to go undefeated in his first ten Liga road trips. Ernesto Valverde was the other.

With Benzema injured, the only player appearing on Sunday who has scored more than one goal in previous Clásicos is Gerard Piqué, who has converted twice against Madrid.

In three league games played this season without Benzema, Real Madrid were only able to score a total of three goals.

Here are Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's views ahead of what would be his first ever Clásico: