It’s one of the world’s greatest rivalries and broadest stages. The mononymous matchup returns to Bernabéu on Sunday. El Clásico is the weekend’s headliner across soccer, with Real Madrid two points ahead of Barcelona atop La Liga.
How to watch Real Madrid vs. Barcelona in the U.S.
- Venue: Santiago Bernabéu Stadium — Madrid, Spain
- Time: Sunday, 11:15 a.m. ET
- TV (U.S.): ESPN2, ESPN Deportes
- Streaming: Fubo (Stream Free Now)
Xabi Alonso felt this historic match from the pitch as a member of Real Madrid (2009-14). On Sunday, the former midfield great gets to feel it as the manager. Alonso has brought a newfound aggression to his side, with higher defenses and stronger presses. That change seems to suit Kylian Mbappé. He has an absurd 10 goals in nine matches, which of course leads La Liga (Atlético’s Julián Álvarez is second with six). Teammates Vinícius Júnior and Arda Güler are tied for No. 2 in the league with four assists each. Things are good at 8-0-1, but the lingering stressor is a 5-2 loss to Atlético on Sept. 27.
Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has not defeated Barcelona in La Liga play since October 2021. He allowed four goals in the most recent Clásico loss back in May, and injuries have kept him out of four Barça matchups over the last three seasons.
Barcelona’s brilliant Raphinha will miss Sunday’s action due to a hamstring issue. But the visitors still arrive with more than enough heat, thanks to Lamine Yamal’s pre-match talk. “Real Madrid steal, they complain … of course they do,” he said on this week’s Kings League podcast. It’s not the first time that the prodigal 18-year-old went at his rival club. “While I’m winning, they can’t say anything,” he quipped last season. “When they beat me, they can.”
Fair enough, given Barcelona’s recent dominance of El Clásico. The Catalan club won all four meetings in 2024-25 (the two league matches plus Copa del Rey and Supercopa). Two of those wins were all-time thrillers — a tense 3-2 finish decided by Jules Koundé, and a 4-3 marathon powered by Raphinha’s double.
Hansi Flick’s club is second in La Liga at 7-1-1. Barça is No. 1 in goals scored, with a balanced attack paced by Robert Lewandowski (4) and Ferran Torres (4); Lewandowski, however, is currently sidelined due to injury. Yamal is an impact attacker at just 18 years old, and Pedri is a top midfielder at 22. Less suitable is the club’s goalkeeping. Joan García tore his meniscus in late September. Wojciech Szczęsny has allowed six goals in three replacement starts in league play.
The second El Clásico of the 2025-26 season is set for May at Camp Nou.
In-depth coverage from The Athletic
Real Madrid
Mario Cortegana on Alonso’s turnaround:
“After Real Madrid’s 5-2 defeat by Atletico Madrid back in September, stern words were shared among the first-team group. Sources who witnessed this, speaking anonymously to protect their position like others consulted for this article, say there was a frank exchange between players, with particular criticism aimed at junior members of the squad over their attitude and application in the build-up.
“It was the first major test of this new squad, and they badly failed it. Since then, Madrid have managed to get things back on track. They are two points clear of Barcelona in La Liga. They have registered two wins from two in the Champions League so far. But, in truth, they haven’t been significantly tested.”
Barcelona
Pol Ballús and Laia Cervelló Herrero interviewed Pau Cubarsi:
“I wouldn’t say pressure, but I was feeling that embarrassment of sitting there, being the new guy, thinking that maybe they’re looking at you, wondering who you are. I stayed a bit in the corner trying not to bother anyone too much, counting down the time until you can get out on the pitch to prepare. Now, the fact that so many of us have come up through the youth academy, that many of us are young, brings us together and helps us all to be one big family. My debut in Salamanca is the one that will always stay with me. I didn’t even know if I was going to play, because they hadn’t told me anything. Halfway through the match they told me to warm up quickly because I was coming on. I didn’t have time to think about whether there was pressure or not.”
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