Real Madrid vs Barcelona – Match preview and team news

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·26. Oktober 2025

Real Madrid vs Barcelona – Match preview and team news

Real Madrid and Barcelona renew their storied rivalry at the Santiago Bernabéu on Sunday in the first El Clásico of the 2025-26 season.

Both sides will be searching for supremacy at the top of La Liga, with Real Madrid leading on 24 points and Barcelona two points behind in second place.

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Real Madrid vs Barcelona – Match Preview and Team News

Date: 26th October, Sunday.
Kick-off: 4:15pm BST.
Venue: Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid.

Real Madrid Team News

Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso has received a significant defensive boost ahead of his first El Clásico in charge, with Dean Huijsen, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Dani Carvajal all returning to the squad after recovering from injuries. Huijsen has overcome a calf muscle strain, while Alexander-Arnold is back after his hamstring injury. Xabi Alonso will likely keep Federico Valverde in the right-back position as a pre-caution.

However, Antonio Rudiger remains sidelined until December with a serious muscular injury, while David Alaba is also unavailable due to a calf strain.

Barcelona Team News

Barcelona’s injury crisis has deepened significantly, with assistant coach Marcus Sorg confirming that star forward Raphinha has been ruled out after experiencing fresh discomfort during training. The Brazilian did not complete Thursday’s session and was absent on Friday.

The Catalan side will also be without head coach Hansi Flick, who must serve a one-match touchline ban after receiving two yellow cards against Girona. The Appeals Committee rejected Barcelona’s appeal, meaning Sorg will lead the team from the dugout.

Frenkie de Jong and Andreas Christensen have both recovered from illness and returned to training. Barcelona’s extensive injury list also includes Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Joan Garcia, Robert Lewandowski, Dani Olmo, and Gavi. Ferran Torres should lead the line, while Marcus Rashford is poised to make his El Clásico debut.

Form

Real Madrid

Xabi Alonso’s side sits top of La Liga with 24 points from nine matches. Los Blancos defeated Villarreal 3-1 and Getafe 1-0 in recent weeks, while also securing a 1-0 Champions League victory over Juventus. However, questions remain about Madrid’s ability in high-stakes encounters following their 5-2 defeat to Atletico Madrid in September.

The attacking partnership between Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior has been thriving, with Mbappe leading La Liga’s scoring charts with 10 goals in nine appearances. Vinicius delivered his finest display of 2025 against Villarreal, scoring twice and completing six successful dribbles.

Barcelona

Barcelona has shown resilience despite mounting injury problems, securing victories over Girona (2-1) and Olympiacos (6-1) since the international break. Last season, the Blaugrana dominated El Clásico encounters, winning all four meetings and scoring 16 goals while conceding seven.

Marcus Rashford has been a revelation since his loan arrival from Manchester United, contributing nine goal involvements in 12 appearances. Lamine Yamal has impressed with two goals and four assists in five La Liga matches.