Barcelona are one win away from making La Liga history. A 10th consecutive victory to start the league season would surpass the mark set by Real Madrid in 1968-69, and the chance to achieve it comes in El Clasico against their great rivals at Camp Nou on Sunday.
Barcelona go into the match after a 4-2 Champions League defeat by Paris St-Germain, a setback that gives Jose Mourinho’s side the opportunity to capitalise and wreck their rivals’ record bid. Real Madrid, meanwhile, arrive after two 4-1 victories against Sevilla and RB Leipzig, though Mourinho insisted those results would count for little in a fixture of such global appeal. “We are in a good dynamic, we play well, we score goals… but the Clasico is different. What we have done before has no influence,” he said. “There are other important matches in the world, but this is the only Clasico, the world stops.”
Real Madrid sit third, six points behind leaders Barcelona, and Mourinho acknowledged that his team are still adapting to his methods. “We’ve been together for three months if you take away pre-season and international breaks,” he said. “The players are still getting to know me and the way I do things.” He also dismissed the idea of making sweeping tactical changes specifically to contain Lamine Yamal. “He’s a great player, we respect great players. We aren’t going to completely change things. We won’t forget the way we do things,” Mourinho said. “Madrid with Mourinho wins trophies.”
The match features six of this year’s 30 Ballon d’Or nominees: Barcelona’s Pau Cubarsi, Rodri and Lamine Yamal, plus Real Madrid’s Marc Cucurella, Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe. Cucurella could find himself trying to stop Spain team-mate Yamal down Barcelona’s right, while centre-back Cubarsi could again face Mbappe after Spain’s 2-0 victory over France in the World Cup semi-final. Mbappe has been prolific for Real, scoring 12 goals in 12 appearances this season, and the midfield could also provide a fascinating battle between Rodri and Bellingham.
Barcelona manager Hansi Flick said his players had recovered and were ready for the challenge, describing El Clasico as “the best match our sport has to offer.” He added: “Everyone will be watching. You can only win three points, but it’s so much more than that.” Flick praised Real Madrid’s attacking quality and warned that Barcelona could not afford to be complacent. “I expect a very confident team,” he said. “Real Madrid is a great club with great players and a great coach. They have players with great quality in the final third. They’ve shown that in recent matches. We have to be careful and prepared.”
Flick stressed the importance of positioning and organisation as Barcelona prepare to contain Mbappe, although Vinicius Jr will be missing for the visitors through suspension. “Our positioning is key, both with and without the ball,” he said, adding that without possession his side need to maintain the right distances between players and stay compact, especially when playing with a high defensive line. He also identified set-pieces as a danger, saying Real Madrid are among the best at them and that Barcelona must defend better than they did in Paris.
Barcelona’s attack has been prolific this season, scoring 50 goals in their 12 games, but questions remain over their defensive solidity, with the Spanish champions having conceded 15. Victory would not only set a record but also strengthen their position as clear early-season title favourites, opening up a nine-point lead over Real Madrid. For Mourinho’s men, halting that run would reduce the deficit to three points and deliver a major psychological boost to revive their hopes of domestic success this season.